Nine-run first inning sends Twins to rout of Yankees

Michael A. Taylor, rookie Eduoard Julien and Carlos Correa hit consecutive first-inning homers as the Minnesota Twins rolled to an 11-2 rout of the host New York Yankees on Thursday night.

The three blasts capped a nine-run first-inning explosion that sent Minnesota to its third consecutive win. The game was the opener of a four-game series.

The Twins already held a 5-0 lead when Taylor lifted an 0-2 fastball onto the netting above Monument Park in center field to make it 7-0 and chase New York rookie Jhony Brito (2-1).

Julien, who had started the inning with his first career hit, greeted reliever Colten Brewer with a blast into the first row of the left field seats. Correa made it 9-0 with a drive to the right-center field seats, his first homer of the season.

Taylor homered again in the third, a two-run drive off Brewer that was his third long ball of the season. It was Taylor's third career multi-homer game and first since June 24, 2017, with the Washington Nationals against the Cincinnati Reds.

Before the power display, the Twins took a 3-0 lead on Trevor Larnach's bases-loaded sacrifice fly and a two-run double by Jose Miranda. Donovan Solano and Christian Vazquez hit RBI doubles for a 5-0 lead before Taylor went deep.

Brito allowed seven runs on six hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. The right-hander, who beat the San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles in his first two starts, Brito saw his ERA climb from 0.90 to 6.75.

Minnesota's Joe Ryan (3-0) allowed one run and three hits in seven innings for his third straight win. He struck out 10, walked none and retired the first 11 hitters before Anthony Rizzo homered.

Rizzo also homered in the ninth off Cole Sands, who pitched the final two innings for Minnesota.

The Yankees sustained their most lopsided loss of the season and ended the game with utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the mound in the ninth. He threw a scoreless inning for New York, which had won four of its previous five games.