By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com NEW YORK -- Jason Kubel hit a grand slam off closer Mariano Rivera with two outs in the eighth inning as the Twins came from behind to defeat the Yankees, 6-3, on Sunday, avoiding a three-game sweep. The Yankees handed a 3-1 lead to Joba Chamberlain for the eighth inning, and the setup man might have had the last out on a Michael Cuddyer line drive that tipped Mark Teixeira's glove at first base, landing safely for a hit to load the bases. Rivera entered for a four-out save opportunity and walked designated hitter Jim Thome to force in Minnesota's second run before Kubel connected with a 1-0 pitch for his sixth career grand slam, sending the ball over the right-field wall. The grand slam was just the fourth allowed by Rivera in his career. The only other time that Rivera allowed a slam at home was in a game he started was June 6, 1995, against Oakland. The surprising rally came after Sergio Mitre offered enough to go deep into the game, allowing just a Justin Morneau solo homer in the second among four hits in five-plus innings. Mitre walked one and struck out three in the 79-pitch outing, leaving after a leadoff single in the sixth. The Yankees touched Twins starter Nick Blackburn for three runs in five innings. Randy Winn slashed a two-run triple to right-center field off Blackburn in the second inning, chasing home Jorge Posada and Marcus Thames. New York added one more in the fifth, when Ramiro Pena legged out an infield hit, went to third on Derek Jeter's hit-and-run single to right field and scored on Teixeira's shallow bloop to center that fell on a diving attempt by Denard Span.
