Minnesota (87-76) at NY Yankees (103-59)

TV: TBS | Radio: TRN 1500, ESPN Radio, KMNV / KMNQ 6:07 pm ET Yankee Stadium TV: TBS | Radio: WCBS 880, ESPN Radio, 92.7 WQBU
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Twins relish rematch against Yankees

Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
Just three weeks ago, the Twins sat seven games out of first place in the AL Central. Now, after an incredible stretch in which they went 17-4, the Twins have earned a trip to the postseason to face the Yankees.
Full story >

Twins probable pitcher

Brian Duensing

  • #52 LHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
The Twins will put the rookie left-hander on the hill to start Game 1 against the Yankees. Duensing, who spent the early part of the season pitching for Triple-A Rochester, has made just nine Major League starts. After being moved into the rotation in on Aug. 22, Duensing has put up an impressive 5-1 record with a 2.59 ERA in nine games. The only time he has faced the Yankees in his career was in a relief role back in early July, in which he gave up four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 5-2 3.64 84.0 31 53 .263
Season 5-2 3.64 84.0 31 53 .263
October 0-0 0.00 1.0 0 0 .000
Vs. NY Yankees 0-0 13.50 2.2 4 1 .222

Series at a Glance

Standings - 10/07/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
Minnesota Twins (AL Central) 87 76 .534 - 49-33 38-43
New York Yankees (AL East) 103 59 .636 - 57-24 46-35
Stats - 10/07/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
MIN .274 817 172 770 85 1021 4.50 1453.0 1542 466 1052
NYY .283 915 244 881 111 1014 4.26 1450.0 1386 574 1260
nyy

Dominant season just a start for Yanks

Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
Winning 103 games -- their most since 2002 -- and securing home-field advantage in the entire postseason, the Yankees seem well equipped to avenge the early exits of Octobers past and make a serious run at the elusive 27th World Series title.
Full story >

Yankees probable pitcher

CC Sabathia

  • #52 LHP
  • (0-0) -.-- ERA 0 SO
One of manager Joe Girardi's easiest decisions this season was to give the Game 1 assignment to Sabathia, far and away his team's best pitcher this season. In the thick of the AL Cy Young Award race, Sabathia improved as the season went on, posting a 9-0 record and 2.04 ERA in August and September. Though Sabathia faltered a bit in his final regular-season start against the Rays, preventing him from winning 20 games for the first time in his career, he should be well-rested and prepared for his yet-to-be-determined Game 1 assignment. Against the Twins, he is 1-0 with a 1.29 mark.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 136-81 3.62 1889.1 590 1590 .246
Season 19-8 3.37 230.0 67 197 .232
October 0-1 16.87 2.2 5 3 .500
Vs. Minnesota 1-0 1.29 7.0 1 3 .125

Twins hitters vs CC Sabathia
Regular Season stats only

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI

Yankees hitters vs Brian Duensing
Regular Season stats only

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI

Yanks win one for second Cathedral (0-1) (1-0)

Yankees 7, Twins 2

Reversal of fortune

Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
Less than 24 hours after winning a thriller to take the AL Central, the Twins came back down to earth after they fell to the Yankees in the ALDS opener. Minnesota scored first, but rookie left-hander Brian Duensing gave it all back and the Twins couldn't recover.
Full story >
Twins Wrap >

More Twins Headlines

Series at a Glance

MLB.TV | Multimedia

CC brings it home

Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
The first playoff game at new Yankee Stadium saw a win, as CC Sabathia, in his first playoff start in pinstripes, held down the Twins in Game 1. Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui homered, and Alex Rodriguez contributed two RBIs to break out of his playoff funk.
Full story >
Yankees Wrap >

More Yankees Headlines

Yankees 7, Twins 2

Minnesota AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Span, CF 5 0 2 0 0 1 3 .400
Cabrera, O, SS 5 1 2 0 0 2 5 .400
Mauer, C 4 1 2 0 0 1 2 .500
Cuddyer, 1B 4 0 1 1 0 1 2 .250
Kubel, RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .000
Young, D, LF 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .000
Harris, B, DH 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 .250
Tolbert, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Punto, 2B 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 .667
Totals 36 2 10 1 1 12 16  

BATTING
2B: Span (1, Sabathia), Mauer (1, Sabathia).
TB: Span 3; Cabrera, O 2; Mauer 3; Cuddyer; Harris, B; Punto 2.
RBI: Cuddyer (1).
2-out RBI: Cuddyer.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cuddyer; Kubel; Mauer; Cabrera, O 4.
GIDP: Span.
Team RISP: 1-for-9.
Team LOB: 9.

BASERUNNING
SB: Cabrera, O (1, 2nd base off Sabathia/Posada).

FIELDING
E: Cuddyer (1, fielding).
DP: (Tolbert-Punto-Cuddyer).
 
NY Yankees AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Jeter, SS 2 3 2 2 2 0 0 1.000
Damon, LF 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 .250
Teixeira, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 .000
Rodriguez, A, 3B 4 1 2 2 0 1 2 .500
Matsui, H, DH 3 1 1 2 1 0 0 .333
Posada, C 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 .250
Cano, 2B 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Swisher, RF 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 .250
  Gardner, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Cabrera, Me, CF-RF 4 1 1 0 0 2 1 .250
Totals 33 7 9 7 3 5 13  

BATTING
2B: Swisher (1, Duensing).
HR: Jeter (1, 3rd inning off Duensing, 1 on, 1 out), Matsui, H (1, 5th inning off Liriano, 1 on, 2 out).
TB: Jeter 5; Damon; Rodriguez, A 2; Matsui, H 4; Posada; Swisher 2; Cabrera, Me.
RBI: Jeter 2 (2), Swisher (1), Rodriguez, A 2 (2), Matsui, H 2 (2).
2-out RBI: Swisher; Rodriguez, A 2; Matsui, H 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A; Cabrera, Me; Posada.
GIDP: Teixeira.
Team RISP: 3-for-8.
Team LOB: 5.

FIELDING
PB: Posada 2 (2).
DP: (Rodriguez, A-Cano-Teixeira).
 
Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Duensing (L, 0-1) 4.2 7 5 5 1 3 1 9.64
Liriano 2.0 1 2 1 1 1 1 4.50
Rauch 0.1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0.00
Mahay 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
 
NY Yankees IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Sabathia (W, 1-0) 6.2 8 2 1 0 8 0 1.35
Hughes, P (H, 1) 0.2 1 0 0 0 2 0 0.00
Coke 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Chamberlain 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Rivera, Ma 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0.00

WP: Duensing, Sabathia.
HBP: Tolbert (by Sabathia).
Pitches-strikes: Duensing 79-59, Liriano 35-19, Rauch 9-3, Mahay 14-9, Sabathia 113-71, Hughes, P 24-16, Coke 1-1, Chamberlain 2-1, Rivera, Ma 23-13.
Groundouts-flyouts: Duensing 6-5, Liriano 3-2, Rauch 1-0, Mahay 1-1, Sabathia 5-7, Hughes, P 0-0, Coke 0-1, Chamberlain 1-0, Rivera, Ma 1-0.
Batters faced: Duensing 22, Liriano 8, Rauch 3, Mahay 3, Sabathia 28, Hughes, P 3, Coke 1, Chamberlain 1, Rivera, Ma 5.
Inherited runners-scored: Liriano 1-1, Rauch 1-1, Hughes, P 2-0, Coke 1-0, Chamberlain 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Tim Tschida. 1B: Chuck Meriwether. 2B: Mark Wegner. 3B: Paul Emmel. LF: Jim Joyce. RF: Phil Cuzzi.
Weather: 62 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 24 mph, Out to RF.
T: 3:38.
Att: 49,464.
October 7, 2009

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner