Recap: Yankees 8, Twins 5

Alex Rodriguez clubbed three home runs and the Yankees rallied themselves to a memorable win over the Twins, 8-5, on Saturday night at Target Field.

A-Rod Goes Off: The Yankees' DH hit a solo shot in the fourth, a two-run bomb in the seventh, and another solo blast in the ninth to tie the game -- leading New York back from a 5-0 third-inning defecit. His first two long balls were responsible for all but one of the Yankees' runs against starter Tommy Milone, though his third -- a line drive to straightaway center off closer Glen Perkins -- seemed to be what finally gave the team the upper hand.

A Starter in the Bullpen: His role with the Pinstripes has certainly been reduced since Ivan Nova's return, but Adam Warren nonetheless continues to contribute. Following CC Sabathia's removal with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth, Warren struck out Aaron Hicks to end the threat -- proceeding to throw two more scoreless frames afterward for his first victory in relief this season.

Murphy Hit a Home Run? What?: Yep, John Ryan Murphy went deep in this one. With the score still even at five and men on the corners in the ninth, the youngster launched a go-ahead three-run homer into the right-center field seats -- his first big fly of the year and second in the major leagues.

CC Struggles: Sabathia looked to be on the path to improvement prior to Saturday's outing, but his 5.2-inning, five-run performance was discouraging to say the least. The Twins cracked six hits off him while walking three times, raising the veteran's ERA to a hefty 5.38.

Other Help: Mark Teixeira essentially created a run by himself in the seventh, doubling to center and scoring on a shallow sac fly by Chase Headley. 

As usual, Andrew Miller had no problem earning the save in a 1-2-3 ninth -- the lefty's third consecutive appearance of 10 pitches or fewer.

Yankees' Record: 54-42.

Next Up: The Yankees and Twins conclude this weekend series with an afternoon finale on Sunday -- beginning at 2:10 p.m. ET and airing live on the YES Network. Nathan Eovaldi (9-2, 4.43 ERA) will start for the Yanks hoping to finish his month strongly, while surprise right-hander Kyle Gibson (8-7, 3.19 ERA) will get the ball for the Twins.