NEW YORK (AP) ― Carl Pavano had nothing to prove to an unforgiving Yankee Stadium crowd. He wanted to get the Minnesota Twins back on track.
In only two batters, it looked as if his plan had derailed.
Then something happened that Yankees fans rarely got to see in his four injury-wrecked years in New York: Pavano found a rhythm and was superb through the seventh inning, leading the Twins to a 7-3 victory Monday night that ended their three-game skid.
“It wasn’t about coming in here and putting everything behind me. Everything I went through is behind me,” he said. “It was coming in here and getting this team on track.”
Justin Morneau played in the field for the first time this season and hit a long homer for the Twins.
Joe Mauer had three hits, including two doubles, and every position player had a hit in a tweaked Minnesota lineup.
The Twins won for just the sixth time in 34 regular-season games in the Bronx since Ron Gardenhire took over as manager in 2002. They were also swept by the Yankees in 2009 and 2010 playoffs.
“It’s a new season,” Gardenhire said. “We’re 1-0 at Yankee Stadium.”
Shields, Rays topple Red Sox
BOSTON (AP) ― The Tampa Bay Rays needed a strong pitching performance to avoid a four-game sweep by the hot-hitting Boston Red Sox.
They got it from James Shields.
Shields allowed four hits ― all singles ― in 8 1/3 innings, and the Rays beat Boston 1-0 Monday after being outscored 31-11 by the Red Sox in the previous three games.
“It was my job to stop the bleeding,” Shields said.
“We had a rough three games and they were hot. They were swinging the bats pretty well.”
