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Yankees' Big 3 relievers continue dominant run

Jim McIsaac / Getty Images Sport / Getty

NEW YORK - For the third straight game, Yankees manager Joe Girardi rolled out all three rocket arms that make up the back end of his bullpen.

Hard to hold off when they're so automatic.

''You have to win today. Tomorrow doesn't mean anything,'' Girardi said.

Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, and Aroldis Chapman combined to throw three scoreless innings Saturday for the third consecutive game in a four-day span to help the Yankees edge the Twins 2-1 behind another dose of dominant relief pitching. The trio had teamed up to set down 26 consecutive batters during that stretch before Joe Mauer singled on a 99 mph fastball from Chapman with two outs in the ninth.

''We have so much confidence in all three of those guys out there and it's crazy that every time they come (in), we expect them to be perfect,'' Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran said. ''Hopefully as a team we can score more runs so that we can give those guys a break here and there.''

Chapman struck out Brian Dozier on a 100 mph fastball for his 15th save in 16 tries, finishing a three-hitter. With the victory, the Yankees (37-36) surged back above .500 with their third consecutive victory and sixth in eight games.

New York is 12-0 when Betances, Miller and Chapman pitch in the same game. The ''No Runs DMC'' relief corps has racked up 15 strikeouts in the past three games, and hadn't allowed a ball out of the infield during that span until Eduardo Nunez's long drive to left-center leading off the ninth.

''They're amazing talents,'' Chapman said through a translator. ''And the fact that we're working together as a team and winning games, you know, I'm having a lot of fun.''

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