MINNEAPOLIS — Little Lyla Perkins finally stopped crying about 6:45 p.m. on Sunday night, signaling to her new daddy that it would be OK to go to work the next night.

It was the first bit of peace and quiet Glen Perkins had enjoyed in about 17 hours, since the Minnesota Twins pitcher got a 3 a.m. call in Kansas City that it was time to come home for the birth of his second daughter.

When he hopped the 7 a.m. flight to the Twin Cities on Sunday, Perkins wasn't sure he would even make it to the Metrodome on Monday night, let alone deliver the best start of his young career against the New York Yankees.

Perkins allowed four hits and three walks over eight outstanding innings and light-hitting Adam Everett had a two-run homer, lifting Minnesota to a 4-0 victory over the reeling Yankees.

"It's a great feeling," Perkins said. "I always pitch for my family. That's why I'm playing, to help support them.

"You're tired and you're all those things, but to be able to do that a day after having a baby is really special. You get a little bit extra when you're in a situation like that."

The 25-year-old needed that boost. Perkins was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA against New York this season before he struck out four and induced two inning-ending double plays to pitch the Twins back into first place, a half-game ahead of Chicago in the AL Central.

"What a performance," said manager Ron Gardenhire, who notched career win No. 600.

Perkins (9-3) also caught the Yankees at the right time, pouncing on a struggling team that has lost a season-high four straight, and 11 of 16, to fall nine games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East and five back of Boston in the wild-card standings.

"I believe in our guys and I believe we're going to turn it around," manager Joe Girardi said.