New York @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 3, 2014 ) NY Yankees 7, Minnesota 4

The New York Yankees kicked off an 11-game road trip with a lot of ills to cure and all it required was a trip to Minnesota to remedy the situation. The Yankees put up their highest run total since June 18 in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Twins to snap a season-worst five-game skid and they look to climb back above the .500 mark Friday in the second of a four-game series. New York has won six straight games at Target Field and is 15-3 in its last 18 contests in Minnesota.

Despite derailing Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka's record-tying string of 16 straight quality starts to open his career, the Twins absorbed their eighth defeat in 10 games to drop a season-worst eight games below .500. Chris Parmelee, subbing for injured first baseman Joe Mauer, is riding a 13-game hitting streak while Brian Dozier collected a pair of hits to halt a 1-for-28 slump. Kyle Gibson takes a 1.54 ERA in six home starts into Friday's matchup.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, ESPN2, YES (New York), FSN North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Chase Whitley (3-2, 4.70 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (7-6, 3.77)

After winning three straight starts and allowing two runs in each, Whitley has regressed while dropping his last two outings. The rookie was rocked for eight runs and 11 hits over 3 1/3 innings at Toronto on June 23 and lasted only four innings while giving up five runs in a loss to Boston on Sunday. Whitley faced the Twins on June 1 and did not factor in the decision, giving up one run and striking out six in five innings.

Gibson absorbed a shellacking at the Los Angeles Angels on June 24, giving up seven runs in two innings, but that was an aberration coming on the heels of three straight starts in which he pitched seven scoreless innings in each and gave up a total of 10 hits. He limited Texas to two runs in eight innings last time in his fourth straight road start. Gibson split two decisions with an 8.71 ERA versus the Yankees last season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees closer converted his seventh straight save chance Thursday since he was battered for five runs by Minnesota on June 1.

2. Twins LF Josh Willingham is 3-for-27 over his last nine games.

3. Yankees 3B Zelous Wheeler homered in his major-league debut Thursday, becoming the first New York player in 100 years to go deep with two hits and two runs scored in his first game.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Twins 4