Friday’s Twins-Yankees game recap

28 Consecutive games reaching base by Joe Mauer, the second time this season he’s had a streak that long. Watching the Twins play the Yankees is like watching the Vikings in the Super Bowl, you just know what’s going to happen next, and then it does.

“He was in a tough spot, taking over for Jeter, ” Sabathia said regarding Gregorius taking over for Jeter last season.

He is the first Yankees pitcher to allow four or fewer earned runs in a seven-game stretch since Phil Niekro allowed four runs in 54 ¹/₃ innings in 1984. His career best is 2.70, in the 2008 season split between Cleveland and Milwaukee.

Gregorius added an RBI groundout in a three-run third that chased Dean (1-3), who lasted 2¤ innings and gave up seven runs on eight hits with three walks and no strikeouts.

“I’m not quite sure we have him back yet”, Girardi said. You can tell Joe Girardi trusts him again because he’s letting him run his pitch well over 100.

Relievers Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller worked a scoreless inning apiece to bridge the gap to closer Aroldis Chapman, who secured his 12th save.

Fernando Abad relieved Gibson (0-5) with one out in the seventh to face the left-handed Gregorius, after an infield single and a walk to start the inning.

The Yankees were finally able to get to Gibson in the sixth inning, when they loaded the bases with no outs. “(Brian McCann) caught a good game and had some pitches when we needed it”. Nor has he surrendered more than two runs in any appearance since April.

Overall, Sabathia improved to 5-4 with a 2.20 ERA this season, and although he’s just beneath the number of innings required to qualify in that race, his ERA would be second in the AL.

This one was pretty much over in a hurry as the Yanks had three runs on the board before Dean retired a single batter, four before he got a second out. “He was on tonight”. New York’s Didi Gregorius clubbed a tiebreaking three-run homer Thursday and is 6-for-11 with a pair of blasts and seven RBIs in his last three games. But he was already the majors’ leading lefty hitter against lefty pitching this season before that game-altering at-bat. 368 (21 for 57) against left-handers.

“He threw me a fastball right down the middle and I hit a home run”, Gregorius said.

Ex-Yankee Eduardo Nunez got the Twins on the board in the fourth with a two-out single to right that scored Max Kepler, who doubled. Nunez has flourished this year, entering the game sixth in the league in batting average and third in steals.

Carlos Beltran made his return to the New York Yankees lineup on Thursday night after sitting out two games. Beltran, who leads the team with 16 HRs, went 0 for 3 before being pulled as a precaution.

“This is an important month”, Girardi said.

Twins: OF/IF Danny Santana (strained left hamstring) was returned from his rehab assignment after the game to be taken off the DL, and OF Oswaldo Arcia was designated for assignment to make room.

Despite a lot of black clouds and some strong winds at times, the rain held off and the Yankees reigned in an 8-2 blitzing at Target Field… a blitzing that started 38 minutes late due to expected bad weather.