Twins Bash Six Bombs, Roll over Yanks 7-1

     Any thoughts of a sweep were quickly brushed to the side as the Yankees were dominated today in the third and final game of the Minnesota series. Looking to get back into the win column, Nathan Eovaldi took the hill for New York in a sun-drenched Yankee Stadium this afternoon. Eovaldi has had a tough June, going 0-2 while sporting an ERA of nine during the month and a 5.00 ERA overall. For Minnesota, it was young right-hander Tyler Duffy, who has a batting average against of .311, fourth worst in the American League. But you wouldn't have known it today, as he was perfect through five in route to an impressive shutdown of the Yankee offense.
     The homerun ball has been a bugaboo for Eovaldi this year, giving up 12 longballs so far in 2016. And the Twins continued that dubious trend in the top of the third when Eovaldi served up his 13th round-tripper to the number nine hitter Danny Santana, a solo shot that gave Minnesota a one run advantage. Number 14 came in the top of the sixth when Eovaldi walked Joe Mauer with two outs and followed that up with a two run shot off the bat of red-hot Brian Dozier, pushing the Twins ahead by three. Unbelievably, he then gave up numbers 15 and 16 to Trevor Plouffe and Max Kepler, as Minnesota went back-to-back-to-back, 5-0. Luis Sessa, in relief of Eovaldi, followed suit as he allowed the fifth Twins homer of the day. In the top of the seventh, former Pinstriper Eduardo Nunez belted a solo shot off the right-handed reliever, extending the lead to six. The sixth ball to leave the yard for the Twins came in the top of the ninth, another solo shot, this one by Juan Centeno off of Kirby Yates.
     The only blemish of Tyler Duffy's impressive afternoon came in the bottom of the eighth inning where he allowed Mark Teixeira to join the homerun parade, A solo shot that inched the Yankees closer 6-1. Outside of that, the kid was utterly overpowering all afternoon long, going eight strong innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out eight Yankees. The Houston Texas native was said to be pitching for his spot in the rotation today, as he has struggled all season long. I'd say, after today's performance, he put any of those thoughts to bed. And, he did it in Yankee Stadium.