NEW YORK—Mariano Rivera got the last out, sealing yet another October triumph. Jorge Posada trotted out to mound, and the Yankees came out of the dugout in a businesslike manner to shake each other hands.No crazy celebration, at least not yet. Postseason step No. 1 accomplished. Two more to go before the New York Yankees’ big party can start.And yet another quick October exit for the Minnesota Twins. Phil Hughes pitched seven shutout innings, Marcus Thames and Nick Swisher hit home runs and the Yankees beat the Twins 6-1 on Saturday night to complete yet another three-game sweep of Minnesota and return to the AL Championship Series.Even newcomers sense only part of the mission is complete.For starters, though, the Yankees sped past the Twins with ease. It’s not just a pair of playoff victories for New York against Minnesota, but four in the past decade — all in the first round.New York will begin the ALCS on Friday at Texas or Tampa Bay. With the short first-round series, the defending World Series champions put ace CC Sabathia in position to start the opener.A banged-up veteran team appears to have benefited from days off in October. The wild-card Yankees rebounded from a late-season fade in which they lost 17 of their final 26.Chicagoan Robinson Cano got New York started when he tripled off Brian Duensing in the second inning and scored on Posada’s single. Mark Teixeira added an RBI single in the third, and Thames made it 4-0 with his first career postseason home run, a two-run drive over the right-field scoreboard.Brett Gardner hit a sacrifice fly off Matthew Guerrier later in the fourth, and Swisher added a solo home run in the seventh against Scott Baker.The AL Central champion Twins lost their 12th consecutive postseason game dating to 2004, one shy of the record set by the Boston Red Sox from 1986-95. Minnesota’s past nine losses have been against the Yankees.In addition to this year, the Yankees knocked out the Twins in the first round in 2003, 2004 and last season. New York outscored Minnesota 17-7 in this series and scorched the Twins 69-36 in the four playoff triumphs.With Minnesota badly missing Justin Morneau, sidelined since midseason because of a concussion, the heart of the Twins’ order Saturday — AL MVP Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel — combined to go 3 for 20 (.150) with no RBI in the series.After leading the major leagues during the regular season with a .285 average with runners in scoring position, the Twins couldn’t get a single clutch hit in the playoffs. With runners in scoring position, they went an almost impossibly bad 0 for 14 before Denard Span’s too-little, too-late single in the eighth off Kerry Wood.Orlando Hudson followed with an RBI single, and a Mauer walk loaded the bases. Boone Logan threw one pitch, retiring Kubel on an infield pop, and David Robertson got Delmon Young on an inning-ending flyout. Minnesota finished the series 2 for 18 (.222) RISP with one RBI.In the first postseason game at new Yankee Stadium following the death of George Steinbrenner in July, the late owner’s four children all looked on, hoping to see a repeat of the run that brought the pinstripes their record 27th World Series title last year, which christened the $1.5 billion ballpark.Hughes gave up four hits, struck out six and walked one, leaving to chants of “Hughes!” from the new Yankee Stadium record crowd of 50,840 following his first scoreless start since May 12. He was perfect his first time through the order, then allowed Span’s single to right leading off the fourth. Hughes didn’t allow a runner past second.Four relievers followed, with Rivera closing it out 1-2-3 in a non-save situation. Fans didn’t stick around long, knowing they’ll be back.Come October, the killer instinct in the Yankees comes out.