NEW YORK — There wasn’t much reaction at Yankee Stadium when Phil Hughes’ name was announced during pregame introductions Sunday.

A small smattering of boos, maybe. Mostly, collective apathy from a crowd still filing in.

Then the right-hander went out and showed New York fans he’s no longer the floundering pitcher they last saw.

Looking all grown up on the mound with a well-manicured beard, Hughes threw eight poised innings in his return to the Bronx and wound up a winner when the Minnesota Twins rallied past the Yankees 7-2 behind big hits from Josh Willingham and Brian Dozier in a six-run ninth.

“It was a little bit strange,” said Hughes, who tipped his cap to New York pitching coach Larry Rothschild while walking onto the field.

“But once I got on the mound, it just kind of cleared away and I was just able to focus on how I was going to pitch. After the first inning, I was just hoping I wouldn’t start walking toward their dugout.”

Willingham belted a tying homer on the first pitch from closer David Robertson, denying rookie Chase Whitley his first major league victory.

Robertson (0-2) then walked two batters and gave up Dozier’s two-out double, putting the Twins on top 3-2.

Eduardo Nunez, also let go by the Yankees, lined a two-run double on Matt Daley’s first pitch. Oswaldo Arcia added a two-run single off Matt Thornton to make it 7-2, all but sealing Minnesota’s second victory in the three-game series.