Quick 'Cap:
Ransom, Gardner and Derek Jeter drove in a run in the second inning for the early lead, but the Twins rebounded with two of their own. Jason Kubel homered and Michael Cuddyer scored on Ransom's throwing error.
Interim starter Alfredo Aceves was not nearly as impressive as he has been out of the bullpen, but he wasn't a complete bust. The real story was the five pitchers after Aceves who shut out the Twins for 5-2/3 innings.
Ransom and Gardner added RBI singles in the fourth, and Mark Teixeira homered in the fifth. The Yankees' two-run lead held through second half of the game, and Mariano Rivera did his thing in the ninth. Full box score here.
Thoughts:
I'm a little bummed about Aceves, but the Yankees have asked a lot from a guy they were not expecting anything from. However, I am really glad to see Gardy hitting above average at the major league level. He's up to .286 on the year, and is 18/22 in steal attempts.
Line of the Day:
Jon Albaladejo: W, 1-2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K. Since being called up, he's already notched two wins. Nice to see some possible development in his brief minor league stint.
Up Next:
The Yankees visit the west coast to face the Angels this weekend before he All-Star break. I'll have the full series preview posted before Friday's late-night game (10:05 p.m. EST).
