This season's second start in right field resulted in a home run, leading the Yankees to victory over the Twins.

If the New York Yankees could select any opponent to find their rhythm again, the Minnesota Twins would likely be their preferred choice. Over the past two decades, the Twins have served as a "security blanket" for the Yankees. Even though things haven't gone smoothly in the Bronx lately, this historical trend still holds true.

Will Warren's fastball remained lively in the seventh inning, and the Yankees hit four solo home runs, securing a 6-2 victory at home today.

“I think we really needed that spark,” Warren said. “I felt we were playing a bit flat. We got a burst of energy. Over the past month, we haven’t played up to our potential. It feels great to be out there and play baseball the way we’re capable of.”

Warren allowed only three hits in 6.2 innings, giving up runs solely from two solo home runs. This rookie right-hander also became the first Yankees starter to pitch at least six innings since he faced the Rays on July 30.

“He was fantastic,” said catcher Ben Rice. “I can’t put into words how great he was. He was able to place his two fastballs precisely in the strike zone, got ahead early, trusted his pitches confidently, and pitched with conviction and composure.”

Warren did not issue a walk and struck out seven, retiring 17 of the first 18 batters he faced. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised it as “one of the most stable and well-executed pitching performances we’ve seen this year.”

“He threw strikes consistently,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “You could see his fastball making hitters swing and miss. I thought his slider was also effective. He was very aggressive. It was an important performance; it’s exactly what we expect to see.”

Boone labeled the game as “a very clean, comprehensive victory.” Although Rice noted, “We know we can do better,” the game felt much closer to what the Yankees envisioned.

On May 28, the Yankees held a seven-game lead in the AL East, but for the past two months, the team has faced difficulties. They lost five of their last six series, including two out of three to the Astros over the weekend.

The arrival of the Twins provided a potential “oasis.” Since 2002, the Yankees have a record of 124 wins and 44 losses (a .738 winning percentage) against Minnesota, including an eight-game winning streak against the Twins.

However, Boone is not concerned. With Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez absent from his lineup, the Twins no longer have Torii Hunter and Joe Mauer either.

“We’re 1-0 against them this year,” Boone said. “I don’t really care about those stats.”

Nonetheless, the game result felt familiar. Cody Bellinger hit his 21st home run of the season off rookie Zebby Matthews in the first inning, putting the team ahead. Despite inconsistent team performance, Bellinger has remained steady, batting .304 (56 hits in 184 at-bats) since June 17.

“We understand the situation and what’s happening,” Bellinger said. “Everyone put in the effort today. It always feels good when hard work pays off.”

In the third inning, Giancarlo Stanton and Rice hit back-to-back home runs. This marked Stanton's 440th career home run, tying him with Jason Giambi for 44th place in MLB history.

“I think every at-bat he has is high quality,” Bellinger said of Stanton. “He hits the ball really hard. It’s fun to watch him play.”

Rice started again, replacing the struggling Austin Wells. After a strong hitting stretch without results, Rice has recorded hits in eight of the last eleven games (batting .294 with two home runs).

“You have to focus on the process, not the results,” Rice said. “Of course, you want the batting average to be higher, but as long as you keep putting together quality at-bats and hitting the ball hard, good things will happen.”

In the seventh inning, Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge contributed RBIs, and in the eighth, Jazz Chisholm Jr. also hit a home run. Finally, David Bednar closed the game without a save opportunity.

The outcome of this game is exactly what Boone urged the team to pursue in the afternoon. He summarized his message: “Keep it simple.”

“Make things very straightforward. We went out to accomplish our task tonight,” Boone said. “We aimed to win every pitch and put together good at-bats. We focused on protecting the plate. That’s where it starts. Once those things begin to happen, the players will settle in. That’s when the real winning streak will begin.”

Currently, the winning streak stands at one game—and conveniently, the right opponent is here to help them extend it.