Robinson Cano Hoers Twice, Leads 10-4 Yankee Victory over Twins; Jayson Werth Drives in Five as Nationals Rip Brewers

Players of the Day for Monday, July 1, 2013

American League

Snapping a five-game losing streak, the Yankees opened a four-game series in Minnesota with a rousing, come-from-behind, 10-4 victory, spearheaded by the bat of Robinson Cano.

Cano: 2HR, 3RBI

Cano, who will captain the the AL home run derby team during all-star festivities, belted a pair of homers along with a double in four at-bats, scoring four times and driving in three. For much of the contest, Cano was the Yankee offense. His two homers were a solo shot in the first and a two-run drive in the third, as the two teams battled to a 3-3 tie.

Chris Parmalee's solo homer in the sixth made it 4-3 Twins, but Cano led off the eighth with a double, moved to third on a bunt single by Ichiro Suzuki and scored on a wild pick-off throw to first, tying the game. After that, Yankee bats came alive for six more runs, including four in the ninth, putting the game out of reach.

The game was just one of three in the AL on Monday, the Yankees picking up 1/2 game on idle division-leading Boston, though still six games out, in fourth place.

Game two of the series commences Tuesday night at 8:10 pm EDT.

National League

Werth: 2-5, 5RBI

Manager Davey Johnson shook up his lineup, putting slugger Jayson Werth into the second slot, the move producing five RBI from the lanky right fielder and a 10-5 Washington win over Milwaukee in the opener of a four-game series in the nation's capitol.

After Bryce Harper got the Nats on the board with his 13th homer of the season in the first inning, Werth drove in four run in a seven-run third inning, with a double, plating two and, after scoring, a single which knocked in another pair.

He was also credited with an RBI for reaching on an error in the eighth giving him five on the night in a 2-for-5 effort.

The Nationals gained 1/2 game on idle Atlanta, but still trail in the NL East by six games to the Braves. Milwaukee sank lower into last place in the Central, losing their sixth straight and falling 19 games off the Pirates' pace.

Game two is set for 7:05 pm EDT, Tuesday night.

Today's Trivia: Who holds the MLB record of 716 at-bats in a single season? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: The major league record for doubles in a season is 67, set in 1931 by Earl Webb of the Boston Red Sox.