NEW YORK — Carlos Correa outlasted the umbrage.
The boos were loud during pregame introductions, and reached a zenith when his home run landed in the third row. But when Correa lined an opposite-field double into the right-field corner to give the Twins the lead, the booing was half-hearted at best.
Instead, the cheering from the Twins' dugout was audible above the 41,039 disappointed fans, who watched the Yankees blow an early lead and lose to the Twins, 4-3 at Yankee Stadium.
It's the first time the Twins have won back-to-back games in a series in the Bronx since July 13-14, 2013. And in order to become the AL's second team to reach 10 wins in 2023, they had to overcome some Yankees first-inning revenge to do it.
One day after their historic nine-run first inning, the Twins went down in order to open the game against New York left-hander Nestor Cortes. The Yankees, though, pounded Twins starter Louie Varland in his 2023 debut — for three batters.
Anthony Volpe led off with his first career home run, driving Varland's second pitch into the left-field seats. And Varland's third pitch landed in the right-field stands, courtesy of Aaron Judge. When Anthony Rizzo followed with a single, Varland's start appeared in immediate danger.
But the St. Paul native found himself quickly, striking out Giancarlo Stanton and Franchy Cordero to extract himself from that threat. He then proceeded to hold the Yankees scoreless over the next four innings, only once allowing a runner to reach second base.
Stanton led off the sixth inning with a screaming line drive just inside the left-field foul pole, but Varland finished the inning with no other damage.
It was a performance reminiscent of his MLB debut in this building last September, when he allowed just three hits over 5 1/3 innings and gave up only one run.
The Twins, however, appeared to be headed to a Home Run Derby-style loss, the Yankees' three solo home runs to the Twins' two — until Correa's big moment.
Correa had already spoiled Cortes' shutout with a sixth-inning opposite-field shot to right, his second home run in two days. And Kyle Garlick connected off Cortes, too, a shot to left field.
That set up the eighth, against New York reliever Clay Holmes. Michael A. Taylor led off with a single, and Byron Buxton took three two-strike pitches to earn a walk. Then came Correa, who got behind in the count, then stroked a 98-mph low sinker down the right-field line. Taylor and Buxton hustled around the bases and scored without a throw.
That left it up to the Twins' bullpen — with a little help from, yes, Correa. After Emilio Pagán and Jorge López had little trouble keeping the Yankees off the board in the seventh and eighth innings, Jhoan Duran gave up a leadoff single to Franchy Cordero in the ninth.
Oswaldo Cabrera, however, followed with a sharp ground ball directly at Correa, stationed next to second base. He turned the easy double play and pumped his fist in triumph.
And there were no boos.
