(Sports Network) - A.J. Burnett is looking like the hurler the Yankees hoped for when they signed him this past offseason. The Twins' Glen Perkins, meanwhile, has bounced back from an injury he suffered versus these same Yankees.

Burnett and Perkins each seek a third straight winning start tonight, as New York and Minnesota continue their three-game set at the Metrodome.

Since lasting just 2 2/3 innings in Boston on June 9, Burnett has gone 3-1 in four outings, giving up just three earned runs while striking out 33 in that span. He beat his former club, Toronto, on Friday with seven innings of two- run ball.

"I made just one mistake the whole game," said Burnett. "Everything went well mechanically and as long as I can keep the ball away from the hitters things will go well."

The 32-year-old Burnett has improved to 7-4 with a 3.83 earned run average on the season and will face the Twins for the second time in 2009. He got a no- decision against them on May 17, yielding two runs on six hits and six walks over 6 2/3 innings of his club's eventual 4-2 win.

For Minnesota, Perkins will be trying to forget his last outing versus New York. He lasted just two-thirds of an inning against the club on May 18, getting charged with six runs before leaving with left elbow inflammation that landed him on the disabled list. He also fell to 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA lifetime versus the Yankees.

He is 3-1 in four starts since returning from that ailment though, and has allowed just two runs over his last two outings, both seven-inning road wins over St. Louis and Kansas City respectively.

The lefty, who is 4-4 with a 4.38 ERA this year, has struggled against a good portion of New York's lineup. Both Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez homered off him back in May, while Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera are both 5-for-9 versus him lifetime. Robinson Cano has five hits in eight at-bats versus Perkins.

Cano and Rodriguez were two of seven different Yankee players to drive in at least one run in Tuesday's 10-2 victory, while Teixeira had four of the club's 16 hits. CC Sabathia, meanwhile, hurled seven innings of one-run ball.

New York notched its fifth win in as many games versus Minnesota this year and remained one game back of American League East-leading Boston by picking up its 11th win in 13 games overall.

Michael Cuddyer had a solo homer and Brendan Harris drove in the other run for the Twins, who have split their last four games. Scott Baker took the loss after giving up five runs on nine hits in just three-plus innings.