BY Mark Feinsand DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER MINNEAPOLIS - Before the playoffs started, Lance Berkman believed that one big hit in the postseason would erase the frustration of his two months in pinstripes. He was right. Berkman doubled his fun with two huge hits, leading the Yankees to a 5-2 win over the Twins in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. The victory completed a two-day sweep, sending the Bombers home with a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Phil Hughes will try to close it out Saturday night at Yankee Stadium, while the Twins will send Brian Duensing to the mound hoping to extend the series. Berkman homered off Carl Pavano to give the Yankees a lead in the fifth, then after the Twins tied the game in the sixth, the designated hitter launched a run-scoring double in the seventh that put the Bombers ahead for good. Andy Pettitte earned the 19th postseason win of his career, extending his own big-league record. The lefty gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings, providing the type of performance the Yankees were looking for. "Andy has been here so many times," Joe Girardi said before the game. "He knows what this time of year means to everyone." Kerry Wood threw a dominant eighth, while Mariano Rivera picked up his second save of the series, shutting down the Twins in the ninth. Pavano gave up four runs on 10 hits in six-plus innings, taking the loss against his former team. Pettitte made only three starts after returning from the disabled list in late-September, and while his first one went well, the final two were anything but confidence-inspiring. Pettitte battled back stiffness in his penultimate start, and while he didn't have any physical problems in his final outing last Friday in Boston, he also didn't have the command that helped him make the All-Star team earlier this summer. "My command was so good the whole first half of the season before I got injured," Pettitte said leading up to his start. "And obviously that has a lot to do with my mechanics and how comfortable I was feeling with them, and just my release point where right where I needed to be all year long. I just had a little trouble making those adjustments since I come back off the DL." Pettitte struggled with that command early, giving up three hits to the first five batters he faced. The Twins loaded the bases in the second with a pair of singles and a walk, putting Pettitte in some early trouble. Danny Valencia put the Twins on the board with a sacrifice fly, but Pettitte pitched out of the jam without further damage, holding Minnesota to one run in the inning.
