A-Rod gives Yanks win with game-ending homer

Alex Rodriguez's first hit at the new Yankee Stadium was a doozy.

Rodriguez belted a game-ending, two-run homer in the 11th inning to give New York a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

Rodriguez hit a long drive off Craig Breslow (1-2) into the seats in left after Mark Teixeira led off with a walk. A jubilant Rodriguez threw his arms up as he rounded first, then discarded his batting helmet as he made it to the plate and was mobbed by teammates.

It was just the second game at the Yankees' $1.5 billion palace for Rodriguez, who missed the first part of the season with a hip injury after admitting in spring training to using steroids when he played with the Texas Rangers.

Teixeira tied a career high with four hits and also had four RBIs for New York, which has won four straight. Alfredo Aceves (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning to earn the victory.

Justin Morneau hit his third homer in two games and Joe Mauer also connected for the second straight day for Minnesota, which absorbed its second consecutive difficult loss. The Yankees scored three times off All-Star closer Joe Nathan in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win Friday night.

The Twins pushed across two runs in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead. Morneau started the rally with a one-out drive off Phil Coke into the second deck in right. Michael Cuddyer walked with two outs and came around to score when Brian Buscher dumped a double into the right-field corner. Melky Cabrera missed the cutoff man with his relay throw as Cuddyer slid in safely.

New York responded in the bottom half. Teixeira, showing signs of breaking out of his usual slow start, singled in pinch-runner Ramiro Pena with two out to tie it at 4. Pena came in after Hideki Matsui led off with a ground-rule double off Nick Blackburn.

Blackburn went a season-high 7 2-3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits.

Teixeira's three-run drive after Blackburn issued a pair of two-out walks in the third gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead.

Mariano Rivera pitched two scoreless innings to help set up A-Rod's second homer of the season. Minnesota put the first two batters on in the 10th but Rivera retired the next three to keep it tied.

It was Rivera's longest outing since he pitched two innings against Kansas City on Aug. 16.

The four homers — all no doubters — brought the season total to 56 in the first 15 games at the Yankees' swanky ballpark, quickly developing a reputation as a launching pad. The major league record for most homers in the first 15 games at a new park is 59 at Puerto Rico's Hiram Bithorn Stadium from 2001-03, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Puzzled by Joba Chamberlain's lack of velocity in the first inning, the Yankees tried a new routine before his start against the Twins. The right-hander set aside part of his pregame bullpen session for a simulated inning against three batters.

The move seemed to work.

Chamberlain breezed through the first, and allowed two runs and three hits. He's 2-1 with a 3.65 ERA in his last four starts.

Opponents were batting .481 in the first inning against Chamberlain before the game against the Twins. Each of the seven runs he gave up in his previous two starts came in the first.

Notes:@ Twins 3B Joe Crede rested after leaving Friday night's game with tightness in his back and hamstrings. Buscher got the start at third. ... Yankees RHPs Chien-Ming Wang (hip) and Brian Bruney (elbow) are scheduled to make rehab appearances with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.