Griffey’s Double Helps John, Nearing 43, Turn Back Twins, 6-4

Tommy John says he came back to pitch for the New York Yankees because he had nothing to lose. So, to prove his point, since being signed as a free-agent May 2, the 42-year-old sinkerballer hasn’t lost.

“I really didn’t have anything to lose,” he said Tuesday after Ken Griffey’s RBI double snapped a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning, helping John post his 261st career victory and boosting the Yankees to a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins.

“Probably you wouldn’t have given me two cents at making the ballclub in spring training,” said John, 2-0, who didn’t. But he was signed after several injuries to New York pitchers. “I don’t know if I’ve proved anything, but I’ve pitched well.”

With one out in the eighth, Dave Winfield reached base on third baseman Gary Gaetti’s error, stole second and went to third on catcher Tim Laudner’s throwing error. Then Griffey doubled off the the right-center field fence to make a loser of Bert Blyleven, 3-3.

“He’s always been pretty tough on me,” Griffey said. “I just tried to hang in there and get something good to hit. He hung a curve and I hit it hard.”

Twins Manager Ray Miller was frustrated that his team wasn’t able to hit John hard.

“We’ve hit him hard the last two times in here,” Miller said of a pair of games against John last year when the left-hander was with California and Oakland. “But he’s a veteran pitcher who keeps the ball down . . . and keeps it in play.”

John moved past Ted Lyons into 31st place on the all-time victory list. He started the seventh with a three-hitter and a 4-1 lead. But an error by shortstop Bobby Meacham opened the door for the Twins.

After Meacham booted Tom Brunansky’s leadoff grounder for his first error since April 19, Laudner singled. One out later, Steve Lombardozzi hit his fifth homer of the year, a three-run shot over the left-field fence on a 1-0 pitch.

Through six innings, John, who turns 43 on May 22, had allowed only two singles and a homer, all by Ron Washington.

He left with a five-hitter, giving way to Dave Righetti after seven innings. Righetti earned his 10th save of the season.

Washington’s first homer of the season gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the third. But Blyleven’s third pitch of the next inning was lined off the right-field upper deck facade by Don Mattingly. Blyleven went eight innings, allowing 11 of New York’s 12 hits.

Dave Winfield’s home run in the sixth put the Yankees up 2-1 and Rickey Henderson’s two-run homer in the seventh gave New York a three-run cushion. The homers were the third of the year for both Mattingly and Winfield; the sixth for Henderson.

Mike Easler’s run-scoring single off reliever Ron Davis produced the final New York run in the ninth.

Meacham made his second error of the game to start a Minnesota threat in the ninth. Then, with two men on base and one out, he bobbled a grounder by Billy Beane. But Meacham gained control, stepped on second to force Gaetti, and threw to first base to complete a game-ending double play.