Yankees hope to support Hughes vs. Twins

Phil Hughes tries to put the brakes on a personal three- game losing streak on Tuesday when the New York Yankees continue their four- game series with the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

Hughes pitched well enough to win his last time out, but the Yankees' anemic offense failed to put any runs on the board for him for the second straight outing. Hughes gave up just a pair of runs and five hits in eight innings, but still fell to 3-7 on the year to go along with a 4.82 ERA.

"Every time I take the ball, I just clear my head and go out there and do the best job I possibly can," Hughes said. "I really don't let talk and things like that creep into my head, so I guess it takes some experience and going through it to handle that stuff better. It's really not an issue."

Hughes is 2-1 in six games (4 starts) versus the Twins with a 3.33 ERA.

Minnesota, meanwhile, will counter with righty Samuel Deduno, who is 4-2 with a 3.32 ERA. Deduno beat the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, limiting them to a run and five hits in seven innings.

He has allowed two earned runs or less in five of his past six starts.

"I think commanding his fastball better," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We all know he can throw the breaking ball, and that's what he'd always go to when he'd get behind because he couldn't always get his fastball."

Deduno did not get a decision in his only other appearance against the Yankees.

New York stopped its five-game losing streak on Monday, as Zoilo Almonte singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Yankees plated seven runs over the final two innings in what turned into a 10-4 rout.

Robinson Cano went 3-for-4, smacked a pair of homers, and scored four times for the Yankees, who won for only the second time in eight tries and gave Joe Girardi the 600th victory of his managerial career.

"It's nice, I've been fortunate and had some really good player along the way," Girardi said.

Ryan Doumit had a two-run single, but the Twins lost for the fifth time in seven games.

New York won four of its seven matchups with the Twins last season.