MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gary Sanchez was struggling since coming off the disabled list [url=http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-denard-span-jersey]Denard Span Jersey[/url] , and the New York Yankees were off to a so-so September start.Facing the Minnesota Twins seems to be a cure-all.Sanchez had three hits, including a mammoth home run, J.A. Happ tossed six shutout innings and the Yankees continued their mastery of the Twins with a 7-2 win on Monday night.Could his first three-hit game since April 16 be a turning point for the catcher hitting .189?“I’ve hit the ball very hard all season and I haven’t got the results I wanted. If this is what it takes for me to find a good streak here or a good positive streak, yeah, why not,” Sanchez said through an interpreter.New York has beaten Minnesota nine straight times, including last year’s wild card game, outscoring the Twins 66-23. The Yankees are 20-4 in the teams’ meetings since July 25, 2015.The Yankees, 5-4 in the season’s final month, increased their lead over idle Oakland to three games for the first AL wild-card spot.Happ (16-6) allowed six hits and struck out three. Acquired from Toronto on July 26, the left-hander has allowed two or fewer runs in six of eight starts for New York, going 6-0 with a 2.70 ERA.“I ran into a couple outings before I came over where I really wasn’t getting strike one as much as I needed to,” he said. “Tonight, I felt like I was ahead in the count a lot and kind of forced them to be aggressive and swing.”Kyle Gibson (7-13) allowed four hits and one earned run in 5 2/3 innings. He was one batter away from tossing six shutout innings before Sanchez crushed low 2-2 fastball 460 feet into the third deck in left field.“We’ve talked before about a guy’s sweet spot [url=http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-guillermo-heredia-jersey]Gui... Heredia Jersey[/url] , and some guys like the ball down and that’s probably on the fringe of where he likes the ball the most,” Gibson said.Before the bomb, Sanchez was 3 for 29 since coming off the disabled list on Sept. 1.“You always feel like he’s a guy that can get it rolling, and when he does, he’s, from a talent standpoint, one of those guys that can carry a club offensively,” manager Aaron Boone said.New York’s first eight batters reached base in a six-run seventh. Miguel Andujar had a two-run double and later scored on a double by Giancarlo Stanton, who had been in a 3-for-35 slump. Didi Gregorius doubled home Stanton.New York was 5 for 17 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 35 in its previous six games.“Finally, a lot of really good at-bats to kind of break that game open. It was something I feel like we needed and glad that a lot of guys had a hand in it,” Boone said.JUDGE GETS HIS CUTSYankees slugger Aaron Judge took on-field batting practice for the first time since fracturing his right wrist on July 26.The session included home runs to multiple fields by the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year.“It went really well; another big step for him to get out on the field,” Boone said.After the game, Judge refused to put a timeline on his return.“I really don’t want to put myself in a box by setting a date and then not making it. . I just need to keep moving forward until the day I get out there.”TRADING GEMSTwins left fielder Johnny Field made a sliding grab in the fifth to rob Andujar of a hit and save two runs. Third baseman Andujar returned the favor in the bottom of the inning, snaring a sharp liner by Field.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: 1B Luke Voit has been dealing with back stiffness for a couple of days and wants to play through it, but Greg Bird got the start.Twins: 3B Miguel Sano missed his fifth straight game with lower left leg issues — including a sore knee that he sustained sliding into second base last Tuesday. … 1B Tyler Austin went through hitting drills and took batting practice but missed his fourth straight game with a stiff back.UP NEXTTo provide extra rest for Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka [url=http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-ben-gamel-jersey]http://www.... , New York’s Sonny Gray (10-8, 4.96) is scheduled for a spot start on Tuesday. Removed from the rotation in early August, Gray tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his last spot start, on Aug. 25 in Baltimore. Minnesota will send RHP Tyler Duffey (1-2, 9.00) to the mound for his first start of the season.__ WASHINGTON — After a dominant August, the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series against the Washington Nationals looking for their first September win.The Cardinals dropped the final two games of their weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds, losing consecutive games for the first time since July 22-23.They arrive in Washington trailing the just departed Milwaukee Brewers by a half-game and the Chicago Cubs by 5 1/2 games in the National League Central. The Cardinals (76-61) had won 10 straight series.Article continues below ...A stellar pitching matchup opens the series Monday afternoon as St. Louis right-hander Jack Flaherty (8-6, 2.87 ERA) opposes right-hander Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.22).Flaherty went 4-0 in August with a 1.13 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 32 innings. Last time out he allowed one run and four hits in seven innings of a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out five without a walk.“He’s a little different. Motivated. Works hard. Takes care of himself. I would really love to see him sustain what he’s doing for a long time,” Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux told the St. Louis Post Dispatch. “He’s really learning himself. And the more he learns himself, the more he likes himself, and it shows in his performance,”Scherzer, a candidate for a third straight NL Cy Young Award, is coming off two starts against Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies. He lost the first one and got a no-decision as Washington won the second. Scherzer was 2-1 during in August with a 1.89 ERA.He leads the league in strikeouts and his next one will give him 250 for the fifth straight season.Scherzer is 2-4 with a 2.70 ERA in eight starts against the Cardinals.On Sunday [url=http://www.marinersfanproshop.com/authentic-mike-marjama-jersey]Mike Marjama Jersey[/url] , the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning but failed to score, and Cincinnati’s Eugenio Suarez clubbed a two-run homer in the 10th in the Reds’ 6-4 win.“We weren’t able to execute our situational hitting where we wanted tonight,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “It’s been a strength of our club, and we expect it to be a strength of our club. We can’t overreact to (three) at-bats.”Cardinals right fielder Jose Martinez struck out four times. He has fanned seven times in nine at-bats.“I think what we’re seeing is he’s human. Just expanding the zone, maybe trying to do a little too much,” Shildt said. “He’ll be just fine. We’ll take him up there tomorrow in the same situation. I’ll tell you that.”Washington (68-69) couldn’t build on Saturday’s come-from-behind win and lost the rubber game to Milwaukee 9-4. The Nationals walked 11 batters Sunday, matching the team record since the club moved to Washington in 2005.Nationals starter Jefry Rodriguez (2-2) issued seven walks and allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings as the Brewers broke the game open with a seven-run fifth.“It’s the walks,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “When you fall behind, it’s tough. They got pretty good hitters.”Three games into a 10-game homestand, the Nationals are 8 1/2 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves with 25 games to play and eight back in the wild-card race.“You never give in to the game,” Nationals second baseman Wilmer Difo told the Washington Post. “Today, it didn’t happen for us, but it wasn’t because we changed our mindset or approach at all. It’s not always going to happen.”