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Morneau smacks two homers as Twins edge Yankees

Apr 19, 2012 - 5:46 AM Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Justin Morneau hit a pair of homers, knocked in three runs and scored three times, as the Minnesota Twins held off the New York Yankees, 6-5, in the third test of a four-game series.

Joe Mauer, Jamey Carroll and Sean Burroughs all added an RBI for the Twins, who have won two of three since a three-game skid.

Jason Marquis (1-0) gave up four runs on seven hits over five innings to pick up the win in his season debut. Marquis was recalled from Double-A New Britain prior to the game.

"He's got courage and he knows how to pitch," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire about Marquis. "He's a veteran and he knows what he's doing out there. It wasn't pretty, but he got it done."

Robinson Cano hit a solo homer and knocked in two runs for the Yankees, who fell to 6-6 on the young season. Derek Jeter added a solo shot and Nick Swisher had two RBI.

Hiroki Kuroda (1-2) allowed six runs on 10 hits over 4 1/3 frames to take the loss. Kuroda was coming off a brilliant performance in his Bronx debut last Friday, when he gave up five hits over eight-plus innings to get the win.

"He was up most of the game," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi about Kuroda. "He didn't have his good sinker tonight that he had against the Angels and they made him pay."

A total of seven runs were scored in the first inning. Denard Span got the game going with a single up the middle. Carroll and Mauer followed with consecutive RBI doubles down the left-field line. Two batters later, Morneau hit a two-run homer to right-center field to make it 4-0.

But New York responded with three runs. Jeter led off with a single, moved to second on Curtis Granderson's walk and crossed the plate on Cano's double to left-center field. Swisher followed with a two-run single to center to make it 4-3. The Yankees loaded the bases later in the frame, but Eric Chavez grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Each team scored once in the third. With one out, Morneau singled and Chris Parmelee doubled to put men on second and third. Burroughs came through with an RBI single to left, making it 5-3.

Cano's solo homer to right made it a one-run game again.

Minnesota tacked on another run in the fifth. With one out and nobody on, Morneau smacked the ball over the wall in right for a 6-4 lead.

The Yankees put runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh, but Jard Burton got Swisher swinging.

Jeter's homer to right-center field with one out in the ninth made it 6-5. Matt Capps, though, was able to settle down and retire the next two batters for his third save of the year.

Game Notes

The Twins designated second baseman Luke Hughes for assignment on Wednesday...Marquis, who grew up in Long Island, rooting for the Yankees, split last season between the Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks and was 8-6 with a 4.43 ERA...Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner was a late scratch with right elbow soreness. He was then placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bone bruise and strain of his right elbow...Minnesota outfielder Josh Willingham is the first Twins player to hit safely in the first 12 games of the season in the first year with the club since Bobby Darwin had hits in the team's first 12 games in 1972...It was Morneau's 14th career two-homer game.