If you need another example of how off-kilter the Yankees were last season, they actually dropped their season series to the Twins.
The same Twins that the Yankees have routinely pummeled over the past several years — decades? — or more.
Now, the Yankees are back atop the AL East and back to treating the Twins like a glorified Triple-A team.
It continued Wednesday night in front of a lively crowd of 43,202 in The Bronx, as the Yankees used a four-run first inning to spark a 9-5 win.
The Yankees matched their season-high with a seventh straight victory, sparked by a season-high five RBIs by Aaron Judge and six strong innings from Carlos Rodon.
Rodon retired the first 16 batters he faced until Carlos Santana homered to right with one out in the sixth.
By then, the left-hander’s pursuit of perfection was about the only drama left at the Stadium.
The Yankees jumped on Minnesota right-hander Chris Paddack immediately, as Anthony Volpe laced a 101-mph single to center to lead off the bottom of the first.
Juan Soto’s soft base hit put runners on the corners for Judge, whose grounder to second scored Volpe.
After Alex Verdugo whiffed, Paddack was close to getting out of the inning without further damage, but Giancarlo Stanton ripped an RBI single before the slumping Anthony Rizzo doubled to left, sending Stanton to third.
Gleyber Torres then hit a fly ball down the right-field line that a diving Manuel Margot couldn’t come up with and it went for a two-run, ground-rule double to make it 4-0.
Paddack responded by getting the next 10 batters in a row until DJ LeMahieu opened the bottom of the fifth with a walk.
A Volpe single and a Soto walk later, the bases were loaded and Paddack was gone.
He was replaced by Diego Castillo, who promptly gave up a bases-clearing triple to Judge.
Judge then scored on a sacrifice fly by Verdugo on a close play at the plate to complete the Yankees’ second four-run inning of the game.
Rodon finally faltered a bit in the sixth.
After Santana’s opposite-field homer, Kyle Farmer singled and Manuel Margot doubled.
A Carlos Correa sacrifice fly made it 8-2, but Rodon finished the inning. He ended with a season-best nine strikeouts.
Dennis Santana was shaky in relief of Rodon, giving up three runs over two innings before Michael Tonkin finished it.