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Kubel powers Twins past Yankees

Aug 21, 2011 - 3:21 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Jason Kubel finished 3-for-5 and drove in two runs as Minnesota used an early burst of offense to take down the New York Yankees, 9-4, in the third installment of a four-game series.

Ben Revere and Justin Morneau each posted two RBI, while Trevor Plouffe and Joe Mauer added a pair of hits and scored twice for the Twins, who had dropped the first two games in the set. Danny Valencia added a solo homer and walked twice.

Francisco Liriano (9-9) worked seven innings for the win, scattering three hits and three walks with an unearned run while fanning six.

"He pitched good, really good. When he gets those first pitch strikes and gets ahead, he's one of the best and tonight was an example of that," Valencia said of Liriano. "It was just an overall great job by him tonight."

Francisco Cervelli and Curtis Granderson drove in a run apiece for the Yankees, who lost for the third time in their last 10 and maintained a half- game lead over Boston in the AL East. The Red Sox lost at Kansas City.

A.J. Burnett (9-10) didn't make it out of the second inning, tagged in defeat for five hits and seven runs with three walks.

"We need him to pitch like he's capable of pitching. That's the bottom line. He's got struggles. His last two starts were nothing but. We've gotta get him back on track," said Yanks manager Joe Girardi of his embattled starter. "I don't lose confidence in players."

Valencia began the explosive frame with a solo homer to give the Twins a 3-0 edge, and after a one-out double from Luke Hughes and a groundout, Revere knocked him in with a single up the middle. Revere swiped second, Plouffe walked and both moved up on a wild pitch then Mauer walked to load the bases.

That was it for Burnett, who departed with what appeared to be some choice words for Girardi.

"Angry? Of course. Nobody's gonna be happy about coming out of the game," said Burnett, who revealed his verbal explosion came as a result of the last pitch to Mauer. "Oh no, what came out was about that strike, I wasn't talking to Joe."

Luis Ayala came on but walked Morneau to force in another run and also served up a two-run single to Kubel for a 7-0 game.

The Yanks scratched out a run in the third when Eduardo Nunez doubled with one out and scored thanks to Hughes' throwing error on a Brett Gardner infield hit.

Minnesota extended its lead to 9-1 in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk to Hughes and a Revere RBI single.

New York answered with two in the eighth on a Granderson groundout and a run-scoring single from Cervelli. Andruw Jones' blast to left in the ninth capped the scoring.

Minnesota tallied twice in the opening frame. With runners on second and third following doubles by Plouffe and Mauer, a Burnett wild pitch brought in one run and a Morneau sacrifice fly plated the other.

Game Notes

The Twins topped the Yankees at home for the first time since May 27, 2010...This was Burnett's shortest outing of the year, and shortest since June 30, 2004, when he worked one inning in a no-decision with Florida against Atlanta...Despite the setback, the Yankees have won nine of their last 13 road games...Aaron Laffey made his Yanks debut, allowing five hits and two runs with two walks and two strikeouts over three relief frames...Umpire Brian O'Nora did not officiate due to an unknown medical matter.