NEW YORK (AP) - The Twins' frustrations at Yankee Stadium continue, and this time, the weather got in their way to make a late surge.
Steady rain that increased throughout in Sunday's game, a game that had a delayed start because of nasty weather, forcing umpires to stop play in the bottom of the eighth, resulting in a 4-1 Yankees win.
The nearly one-hour delay and eventual calling of the game happened after the Twins brought the tying run to the plate in each of their last two at-bats.
Both times, the budding rallies died with strikeouts.
The Twins haven't won a series at Yankee Stadium since 2014. They had lost nine in a row overall at the park until winning Saturday.
Minnesota has won two in a row in the Bronx in the same season just once since 2001, doing it in 2013.
Domingo German (6-1) gave up one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings to tie for the major league lead.
Mike Tauchman hit a two-run homer to help New York win for the 11th time in 15 games. The Twins lost two of three after coming into Yankee Stadium this weekend with the best record in the majors.
They leave The Bronx at 20-12, second in winning percentage only to Tampa Bay, and two games up on Cleveland in the AL Central.
It was 51, windy and damp at gametime. Still, rain fell for most of the day and pelted the park hard in the late innings before the game was halted.
Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez fell on the slippery grass retrieving a passed ball, pitchers pawed with their cleats at the muddy mound and infielders chased gust-blown popups. Then the weather got worse and play became sloppy.
Twins reliever Fernando Romero came on in the bottom of the eighth and had trouble in the pelting rain, walking one and throwing a wild pitch, while another toss got by catcher Jason Castro for a passed ball.
Despite the grounds crew piling bagsful of drying agent around the plate, the umpiring crew determined enough was enough.
This came after Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle struck out Max Kepler with two on to end the seventh. Aroldis Chapman fanned Marwin Gonzalez with two on to finish the eighth, and got his seventh save in eight chances.
Michael Pineda (2-3) struck out eight in five inconsistent innings.
Pineda's previous start at Yankee Stadium was July 5, 2017, the final game he pitched for the Yankees before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He missed the 2018 season while recovering, and returned this year with the Twins.
"Today is a big day for me. I'm going back to pitch at Yankee Stadium, but I play for the Minnesota Twins right now," he said.
"I felt excited, but I tried to control my emotions and focus on my game. Make good pitches. That was my focus today," he said.
Tauchman struck out with the bases loaded in the second, but lined a two-out drive in the fourth for a 4-1 lead. Pineda slapped his shin as the ball sailed out.
UP NEXT
Twins lefty Martin Perez (4-0, 3.41 ERA) starts at Toronto vs. righthander Marcus Stroman (1-4, 2.20). Perez threw a team-high eight innings in his last outing, blanking Houston.