'We need some revenge'

With the Yankees opening a three-game series at the Metrodome tonight, here's one positive for the Twins: There are no walk-off losses at home.

After losing three games in New York's final at-bat at Yankee Stadium in mid-May -- and four games by a combined five runs -- the Twins can have the final say this week.

"I think we're a different team than when we played them," Twins catcher Joe Mauer said.

Then again, so are the Yankees. After a 15-17 start, they are 33-17 in their past 50 games.

They are healthier, their big-ticket free agents -- CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira -- are paying dividends, and they have climbed near the top of the American League East despite going 0-8 against the division-leading Red Sox.

Thanks in part to a bullpen that has posted a 1.65 ERA in the past 20 games, the Yankees lead the majors with 25 comeback victories. They almost staged another one Monday, when they fell behind Toronto 7-1 before falling 7-6.

Apparently, the Twins awoke a sleeping giant when they arrived at New York's new $1.5 billion ballpark May 15. The Yankees were 17-17, two games into what would become a nine-game winning streak.

It turned into the most emotionally draining series many Twins could remember. Consider:

• In Game 1, the Twins led 4-2 in the ninth, when the Yankees scored three runs against Joe Nathan, capped by Melky Cabrera's two-out, two-run single.

• In Game 2, Teixeira delivered a game-tying single off Nick Blackburn in the eighth inning before Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer off Craig Breslow in the 11th.

• In Game 3, the Twins grabbed a 2-0 lead in the seventh, only to let the Yankees tie it that inning, setting the stage for Johnny Damon's 10th-inning homer off Jesse Crain.

• In Game 4, the Yankees scored six first-inning runs off Glen Perkins, before he went on the disabled list because of an elbow injury, and New York held on for a 7-6 victory.

The tailspin continued as the Twins lost their next two games in Chicago before crushing the White Sox 20-1 to close that road trip. By then, the die had been cast. The Twins have been answering questions about their road struggles ever since.

Despite going 6-3 on their last trip to Milwaukee, St. Louis and Kansas City, the Twins are 26-16 at home and 17-24 on the road.

"We definitely need some revenge," Nathan said. "We know we play well here [at home], but at the same time, the Yankees are hot right now, so we need to step up our game."

This change of venue should help. The Yankees are 23-3 in regular-season home games against Ron Gardenhire's teams, but the Twins went 4-3 vs. the Yankees at the Metrodome last year, winning four of those final five games.

The Yankees wound up missing the playoffs for the first time since 1993, triggering another free-agent spending spree, as they committed $423.5 million to Teixeira, Sabathia and Burnett.

Teixeira has 20 homers, though none since June 12, and was named to the All-Star team along with teammates Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Sabathia, who pitches tonight, is 6-2 with a 3.33 ERA in his past 11 starts. Burnett, who pitches Wednesday, is 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA since May 27.

"Teixeira's been swinging the bat," Morneau said. "A-Rod -- he was just coming back last time we played him, and you've got Sabathia and Burnett right out of the chute. Those are two No. 1 pitchers for any team. We've got to be ready to go after them. Try to take care of that first one and win another series."

The Twins have won their past four series, but so have the Yankees. For now, the Twins are trying to dwell on the good things that happened in New York.

"It was disappointing, but to say that we didn't play good baseball is not the case," said Scott Baker, who starts tonight for the Twins. "So I'm anxious to see what we do this series. I think we're definitely better because of it."