Get your brooms out: Yankees sweep Twins 3-0, advance to ALCS for second straight year

Ready for a surprise?

The New York Yankees ended the Minnesota Twins' season with a 6-1 victory tonight, sweeping the Twins 3-0 in the American League Division Series best-of-five-series to advance to the American League Championship Series.

Okay, well maybe that wasn't that much of a surprise.

In their last four playoff meetings (2010, 2009, 2004, and 2003), the Yankees have defeated the Twins in every meeting, outscoring them by a staggering 69-36 run deficit, including a 17-7 run differential in this series.

Behind a stellar Phil Hughes performance (7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 BB), the Yankees cruised through tonight's game, securing their spot in the ALCS for the second straight year, as well as sweeping the Twins in the first round for the second straight year. A Marcus Thames light-tower-power home run propelled the Yankees in the fourth inning, followed by a Nick Swisher home run in the 7th. In the 9th inning it was lockdown mode, as Mariano Rivera closed out another Yankees' playoff win.

"We expect everyone to produce. We don't just rely on or one two guys," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We rely on a circular lineup."

After victories behind CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte in Games 1 & 2, respectively, the Yankees were determined for tonight to be the night they clinched a spot in the ALCS. Backed by strong performances out of the bullpen by Kerry Wood, Boone Logan, David Robertson and Rivera, success seemed to be the Yankees' only option.

"We really wanted to close it out here," Hughes said.

The Yankees will await to see which team reigns victorious in the Texas Rangers v. Tampa Bay Rays series (TEX leads 2-1). The winner will face the Yankees in the ALCS.

In the meantime, the next few off-days should give the Yanks a chance to rest, prepare, and have fun.

That's all for now. Until next time.