MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The starting pitching has been so dominant for the New York Yankees this year, it has almost overshadowed another potent offense that leads the major leagues in home runs.
With Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton in the heart of the order, well, there’s just no hiding this familiarly loaded lineup.
Rizzo hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to crack open a close game for the Yankees, who brushed off a rare rough start by Jameson Taillon to beat the Minnesota Twins 10-4 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight victory.
“We can win in a lot of different ways, and tonight was just another one of those examples,” said Taillon, who gave up season highs in hits (nine) and runs (four).
Judge and Stanton got the visitors going with first-inning homers, the 23rd time they’ve gone deep in the same game in five seasons together. The Yankees have only lost once when that happens, in the Field of Dreams game in Iowa last Aug. 12.
“Nobody has to feel like they’ve got to do everything,” said Judge, who leads the majors with 22 home runs. “Hey, if we don’t get a hit or get the job done that time, I know the guy behind me is going to pick it up.”
The Yankees (40-15) lead the majors with the best 55-game record in baseball since Seattle in 2001. That’s actually a lower winning percentage than the astounding 110-38 record the Yankees have built, including the playoffs, against the Twins since 2002. They are 32-12 all-time at Target Field, which the Twins opened in 2010.
Taillon, who took a perfect game through seven innings in his last start, was pulled with no outs in the fifth. Jorge Polanco went 4 for 4 with two RBIs, including a homer off Taillon that was the first allowed by a Yankees pitcher in six games. Lucas Luetge (2-2) pitched 1 2/3…