NEW YORK: Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui supplied the punch that supported pitcher CC Sabathia in the New York Yankees' 7-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the opening game of their AL Division series on Wednesday.

In the NL Division, the Los Angeles Dodgers triumphed 5-3 over the St Louis Cardinals, while World Series champions Philadelphia made a confident start to the postseason with a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies in the other NLDS opener.

The Twins, who arrived in New York at 3 a.m. (0700 GMT) after their thrilling Tuesday night win over Detroit for the AL Central title, struck first with two runs in the third inning.