Sloppy Yankees Lose to Twins 10-4

It was the first win for the Twins at Yankee Stadium since 2001

Aaron Hicks hit a three-run homer a pitch after shortstop Eduardo Nunez made a two-out throwing error, and the Minnesota Twins took advantage of some Yankees miscues and misfortune to beat CC Sabathia for the first time in six years and end more than a decade of misery in the Bronx with a 10-4 win Sunday.

Justin Morneau had three hits — two very well placed — as Minnesota took two of three from New York to win a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since taking a set at the old ballpark in 2001. Still, the Twins are 9-31 here starting in 2002.

They'd had even less success against Sabathia (9-8), going 0-11 in 12 games including the postseason after beating him on July 29, 2007.

The Yankees made two errors that led to five unearned runs. They also hit into four double plays — two on baserunning blunders by Zoilo Almonte — in making it plenty easy for the Twins in the teams' final game before the All-Star break.

The fans let New York know their displeasure, booing relentlessly after the Yankees fell behind 8-1 in the fourth.

Rookie Kyle Gibson (2-2) benefited from the sloppy play to earn his second win in four career starts. He pitched five-plus shaky innings, yielding three runs — two earned — on five hits and four walks.

Minnesota improved to 3-7 on a 10-game road trip and are 39-53. New York goes into the break 51-44.

Sabathia gave up a season-high eight runs — three earned — and matched his low of four innings this year.

Lyle Overbay couldn't handle Ryan Doumit's two-out hot shot to first base with the bases loaded in the fourth for an error to let in two runs to make it 8-1. The previous batter, Morneau hit a popup in between the mound and second base that was just out of a lunging Sabathia's reach. Sabathia slid on his knees after missing the ball as Jamey Carroll scored.

In the third, Morneau, who came in batting .128 against Sabathia, hit a short fly to right that hit off second baseman Robinson Cano's glove for a double. Nunez made his error two batters later and Hicks connected for a 5-0 lead.

Sabathia shouted and Nunez took off his glove and held his hand on his hip as Hicks rounded the bases with his eighth homer of the year.

In the first inning, Almonte burst off first base on Cano's sharp liner to right and was doubled off to end the inning. The rookie tried tagging up on a routine fly to left field in the third but was out at home by several feet.

Almonte reached on second baseman Brian Dozier's fielding error and advanced on Cano's RBI single that made it 5-1 and a groundout.

Carroll — in the lineup because he was 4 for 10 against Sabathia — and Pedro Florimon had RBI singles in the second.

Ichiro Suzuki, who had three hits, homered in the seventh to make it 8-4. Dozier had an RBI double in the eighth and Yankees catcher Chris Stewart's passed ball allowed one more in the ninth.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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