MINNEAPOLIS — Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup and Curtis Granderson hit an inside-the-park home run to help the Yankees to a 3-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
Rodriguez went 0 for 5 in his first game since July 7, but Mark Teixeira also homered and Ivan Nova (13-4) pitched seven shutout innings as the Yankees took three of four from the Twins.
Nova allowed five hits and struck out five to rebound from a poor start in Kansas City and Mariano Rivera picked up his 33rd save in 38 tries.
Joe Mauer had three hits for the Twins, who lost starter Nick Blackburn in the second inning because of a strained right forearm. Phil Dumatrait (1-2) got the loss in two innings of relief.
In a breakout season in the Bronx, Granderson has launched 34 balls into the seats to help the Yankees weather Rodriguez’s long absence. But he used his considerable speed to pick up homer No. 35 in the seventh inning.
His drive off of Jose Mijares hit high off the out-of-town scoreboard in right-center field and got away from both center fielder Ben Revere and right fielder Jason Kubel. Granderson motored around the bases and easily beat the throw home for his third career inside-the-park home run.
Teixeira followed with a solo shot to left field to make it 3-0, giving them enough room even with Rodriguez still shaking the rust off in his first game in more than a month and a half.
Rodriguez missed 38 games after having surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee. The injury sapped a lot of the power from his muscular swing, limiting him to 13 homers in his first 80 games. He still has not homered since June 11.
Even though they went 25-13 in his absence, the Yankees were elated to have him back in the cleanup spot to help them in their duel with Boston for the AL East title. The Yankees have 1/2-game lead over the Red Sox, who beat the Royals on Sunday, in the division.
A-Rod grounded out to shortstop twice, popped out to first base with bases loaded in the fifth, flew out to center field in the seventh and popped out to right field in the ninth.
He was tested in the field when Revere laid down a soft bunt down the third baseline to start the sixth inning. Rodriguez pounced on it, bare-handing the ball and firing to first just in time to get him. But he also mishandled a hot grounder to his backhand in the eighth off the bat of Mauer, who was awarded a hit in a close call by the official scorer.
With the Yankees offense struggling in the early innings, it was up to Nova to keep them in the game. The right-hander wiggled out of a two-on, nobody-out jam in the fifth. It was a good sign for Nova, who gave up seven runs in 5 1-3 innings of his last start against the Royals.
Blackburn left after walking the bases loaded with one out in the second inning. The team called it a lateral forearm strain and said he would be re-evaluated on Monday.
