MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Roger Clemens and the New York Yankees continue to roll toward history.
Clemens picked up career victory No. 296 with six solid innings as Yankee starters remained unbeaten this season with an 11-4 triumph over the Minnesota Twins.
Clemens (3-0) needs just four wins to become the 21st pitcher and first since Nolan Ryan in 1990 to reach the historic plateau. The 40-year-old righthander allowed one run and five hits. He walked three and struck out eight, moving within 68 strikeouts of becoming only the third pitcher ever to record 4,000.
"I just try to make good pitches," Clemens said. "Tonight, I was fortunate to get some strikeouts at key spots."
With the win, Clemens improved to 23-12 lifetime against the Twins and 11-5 all-time at the Metrodome.
"I was thinking about my first major league win which was here," Clemens said. "I have had a lot of memories here and how it may be the last time I pitch here. Once the game started I didn't think about that any more."
"Clemens was good," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We thought we made him work, he had pitched 70-80 through five (innings), but he is a fierce competitor and he kept going. ... He is good because he is a longhorn. He is a good pitcher. He has been out there a long time and nothing he does surprises me."
The victory also ran the Yankees' starters combined record to 11-0 this season, tying the mark of the 1990 Milwaukee Brewers for the best start by the rotation in the last 50 years.
"We are getting really good starting pitching," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "I expected that, but not this good this early."
At 13-3, New York is off to its best start since 1987. The Yankees have yet to lose back-to-back games and got their longest road trip of the season off to a positive start.
New York also has beaten Minnesota 10 straight times. The Yankees also have won 20 of their last 29 games at the Metrodome.
"They make you pay when you make a mistake and that is what happened tonight," Gardenhire said. "You better be good when you play them."
Robin Ventura had three hits - including a pair of home runs - and scored three times for New York, which torched Minnesota starter Brad Radke (1-2). Ventura has 21 career multi-homer games, the last one coming June 12, 2001, while with the New York Mets.
"It is nice when you get some pitches to hit and you hit them," Ventura said.
Alfonso Soriano and Raul Mondesi also homered for the Yankees.
Every New York hitter but Jason Giambi hit safely in the 15-hit attack.
Radke was tagged for seven runs and nine hits in five-plus innings and his ERA through four starts in 7.84.
"They have guys hitting in the one hole, two hole, the three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine hole who would hit cleanup on any other team," Radke said.
Soriano's 10th career leadoff homer and second this season got New York off to a quick start. Ventura made it 2-0 in the second with his fourth homer of the season.
Minnesota got a run in the bottom of the second but Mondesi homered in the fourth for a 3-1 lead. Mondesi has four homers and is hitting .328 this season.
The Yankees have hit 31 home runs this season while giving up a major league-low four.
New York scored four times in the sixth to break open the game. Jorge Posada, Ventura, Mondesi and Soriano picked up RBI in the frame.
Ventura's two-run shot off Tony Fiore in the seventh made it 9-1.
Minnesota scored three runs off rookies Jason Anderson and Jose Contreras in the eighth. Anderson has a 14.73 ERA this season while Contreras' is 10.80.
Antonio Osuna got the final five outs without surrendering a hit.
