Luke Voit hit a two-run double in a four-run third inning and the red-hot New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 7-5 on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees won their season-high seventh straight game and improved to 19-5 since dropping three of four at Fenway Park to the Boston Red Sox.

Voit, whose three injured list stints necessitated the need for Anthony Rizzo at first base, made his third start of the season out of the leadoff spot. He highlighted New York's big inning after driving in the decisive runs in Tuesday's doubleheader against Boston.

Kyle Higashioka added an RBI double and a two-run homer as the Yankees remained one game ahead of the Oakland Athletics for the first wild-card spot in the American League.

Voit also scored on a sacrifice fly by Rizzo, who recently missed 10 games recovering from COVID-19.

Giancarlo Stanton homered in the eighth.

Jake Cave homered, and Jorge Polanco hit a two-run double and an RBI single for the Twins, who opened a seven-game road trip against the Yankees and Boston.

New York's Jameson Taillon (8-4) allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked none after taking a shutout into the sixth. Taillon was lifted after allowing four straight hits, including Polanco's ground-rule double that cut the deficit to 6-3.

Wandy Peralta got the final two outs of the sixth and pitched a perfect seventh, and Zack Britton struck out Josh Donaldson to end the eighth after Polanco's single.

Chad Green allowed a one-out homer to Miguel Sano in the ninth before getting his sixth save.

Minnesota's John Gant (4-7) allowed four runs on three hits in 3 1/3 innings. It was his first start for the Twins since being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline for J.A. Happ.

After Gant retired the first six hitters, the Yankees took a 4-0 lead in the third.

Andrew Velazquez opened the inning with a triple when center fielder Nick Gordon could not make a diving catch. Velazquez scored on Higashioka's double down the left field line.

Following a walk by Tyler Wade, Voit ripped a double down the left field line for a three-run lead and emphatically clapped his hands after crossing the plate on Rizzo's fly ball.

Higashioka's eighth homer put New York up 6-0 in the fourth before the Twins came back.

--Field Level Media