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Yankees-Twins Preview

Jul 8, 2009 - 8:33 PM By JON PALMIERI STATS Editor

New York (49-34) at Minnesota (43-41), 8:10 p.m. EDT

The New York Yankees have been dominating opponents the past two weeks. A.J. Burnett has done his share of that lately as well.

Seeking their sixth win in as many tries against the Minnesota Twins this season, the Yankees send the red-hot Burnett to the mound Wednesday night at the Metrodome.

Since losing three straight to Florida last month, New York (49-34) has played the way most observers expected it would when the club spent $423.5 million in the offseason to put Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and Burnett in pinstripes.

The Yankees have won 11 of 13 to move a season-best 15 games over .500 and pull within one game of AL East-leading Boston. They've batted .302 while outscoring the opposition 89-53 during that stretch.

Sabathia allowed one run in seven innings and the Yankees cruised to a 10-2 victory in Tuesday's series opener. It was the sixth straight road win for New York, which hasn't won seven in a row away from home since Sept. 3-17, 2005.

The bottom third of the order combined for seven hits and six RBIs as the Yankees improved to 16-6 against the Twins since the start of 2007 season.

All-Star first baseman Teixeira continued to feast on Minnesota pitching, going 4 for 6 with an RBI. He has batted .621 (18 for 29) with five homers and 13 RBIs in his last seven games against the Twins.

Although he may yield the title of ace to Sabathia, few pitchers in baseball have been as good as Burnett (7-4, 3.83 ERA) has of late.

Since lasting 2 2-3 innings in a 7-0 loss at Boston on June 9, the right-hander is 3-1 with a 0.99 ERA in four starts. The only defeat in that span came June 20, when he allowed one earned run in 6 1-3 innings of a 2-1 loss to the Marlins.

Burnett gave up two runs over seven innings Friday in a 4-2 victory over Toronto, striking out seven and walking two.

"When you're clicking, everything just flows," Burnett said. "When you're clicking on pitches, you don't even think about anything. You know, it's just all confidence out there."

Burnett limited Minnesota to two runs in 6 2-3 innings May 17 but walked six in New York's 3-2 victory in 10 innings.

The Twins (43-41) need victories in their next two games to win their fifth straight series. Minnesota entered Tuesday having won eight of 12.

Glen Perkins, who has pitched well his past four starts, was scratched hours before this game because he was sick. The left-hander will be replaced by rookie Anthony Swarzak (2-2, 3.90).

The right-hander's last start was the best of his young career, allowing four hits and striking out six over seven innings to beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on June 13. He was sent down after that game but recalled from Triple-Rochester on Saturday.

Swarzak, who has never faced New York, is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in his last two starts at home.