=== New York Yankees Team Report - September 30 ===

(My Sportsbook) - The New York Yankees try and secure their seventh consecutive American League East title this evening when they conclude their three-game set with the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees enter tonight's finale with a magic number of one for clinching the division, after sweeping a doubleheader from the AL Central champion Twins yesterday, combined with a Boston Red Sox loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Alex Rodriguez's two-run triple scored the go-ahead runs in a four-run seventh inning as New York rallied for a 5-3 win in the opener. Hideki Matsui added a solo shot and Gary Sheffield collected an RBI single for New York, while Paul Quantrill (7-3) worked a scoreless seventh inning to earn the win .

New York starter Mike Mussina allowed three first inning runs and after the game manager Joe Torre said he would start Game One of the playoffs.

In the nightcap, Matsui cracked a three-run homer and Rodriguez added a solo shot to lead the Yankees to a 5-4 triumph. The sweep combined with Boston's loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays upped New York's lead in the division to four games.

Jon Lieber (14-8) allowed two runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work to earn his 100th career win and improve to 11-3 at home this season. He fanned five with no walks for the Yankees, who have won two straight and four of six

Mariano Rivera earned the save in both games and now has a career-best 53 saves of the season.

Heading to the hill tonight for the Yankees will be struggling righthander Javier Vazquez, who has just one win over his last eight starts. In his most recent outing on Saturday against the Red Sox, the 28-year-old hurler allowed five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 12-5 loss.

For the year Vazquez is 14-10 to go along with a 4.89 ERA.

Vazquez lost to the Twins earlier in the year and will be facing them for the second time in his career tonight.

A win tonight would also give New York 100 for the third straight season, something that has never been done in franchise history.

New York, which leads the majors in home runs, needs two more in its final four games to tie the club record of 240, set in 1961.

The Yankees have taken three of five from the Twins this season, and have beaten them in 16 of the last 18 meetings, including the last eight at Yankee Stadium.