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Santana wins fourth straight start

Jul 4, 2007 - 9:47 PM BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Twins did not have many hard hits until the seventh inning but at least they had their ace on the mound.

Jason Kubel hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the seventh and Johan Santana worked seven effective frames as the Twins snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday.

Before going ahead, the Twins managed just three hits, two coming from All-Star Justin Morneau. Their other hit was a leadoff single by Jason Bartlett in the sixth but as the seventh started, Minnesota had a pair of hard hits.

Torii Hunter, who was hitless in his previous 11 at-bats, began the frame with a long double to left-center field. One pitch later, Kubel hit his sixth home run of the season to snap a 2-2 tie and chase Yankees starter Mike Mussina (4-6).

"I think it was a slider down in and I was just trying to pull the ball any way (I could)," Kubel said. "So I got a pitch inside to do it with."

"Really in the back of my head I thought he was going to bunt," Mussina said. "So I was trying to throw a strike and get to the line and the ball just ended up in the middle more (of the plate). He was trying to hook it and he just hooked it and got under it good enough to get it out right down the line."

Kubel's blast was Minnesota's first in 36 innings and first against the Yankees in six games this season.

Unlike the previous two games of the series, the Twins did not allow the big inning and that was because of Santana (10-6), who limited the Yankees to two runs and four hits. The All-Star lefthander struck out five, walked two and threw 66 of 107 pitches for strikes.

"We stayed aggressive with all the fastballs in and out of the plate and mixed it up with a changeup and trying to have them put the ball in play so we can make a play," Santana said. "But we weren't trying to overdo things and throw one pitch at a time."

"Johan was very good again," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He always gives us a chance to win baseball games and he did what he had to do against a very good lineup."

Santana also improved to 3-0 against the Yankees and 5-1 in his last six road starts. In four career appearances at Yankee Stadium, Santana has allowed just three earned runs in 23 innings.

"When you have to face a team like the Yankees, you know it's going to be a tough challenge," Santana said. "But at the same time, I'm always ready for the challenge, whatever the situation is and whoever I have to face, I'm always going to be ready. Whether it's here, Japan, Venezuela or wherever I have to pitch, I'm always going to bring my A-game."

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner won his fourth consecutive start. During the stretch, Santana has allowed just five runs and 18 hits over 28 innings.

"He's pretty much tough every day," Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. "There aren't too many teams that go out there and get four or five runs against him. He's not fun to face."

"He's special," New York manager Joe Torre added. "We did pretty much what we wanted to do. We even had a lead but we couldn't continue to put on the pressure."

Pat Neshek struck out two in a scoreless eighth and Joe Nathan worked a perfect ninth in a non-save situation. Minnesota pitching retired the final 16 batters.

Luis Rodriguez hit a two-run homer of Brian Bruney with two out in the top of the ninth, giving the Twins some added insurance. It was just his second homer in 88 at-bats this season.

The Yankees rested most of their lefthanded hitters, who had little success off Santana. But one lefthanded hitter who had hit Santana well was Hideki Matsui, who forged a 1-1 tie in the second with his ninth home run of the season.

Matsui's homer was just the fourth by a lefthanded hitter off Santana.

New York went ahead in the fourth as Derek Jeter doubled and scored on Andy Phillips' base hit.

After Mussina retired the side in the fifth, Bartlett singled, stole second, took third on a groundout and scored the tying run on Michael Cuddyer's groundout.

Mussina lasted six-plus innings and allowed four runs and five hits. Unlike Friday against Oakland Mussina was unable to hold a 2-1 lead and lost for the third time in four starts.

"We got two and 2-1 against Santana, you want to try and make that work," Mussina said. "I made it stand up but I couldn't do it today."

Both he and the Yankees suffered a rare loss to the Twins. Mussina fell to 20-6 lifetime against Minnesota and the Yankees lost for just the third time in their last 18 contests against the Twins at Yankee Stadium.