Bronx, NY (Best E Casino) - Despite an epic first round from Texas' Josh Hamilton, Minnesota's Justin Morneau hit five homers in the final to defeat the Rangers slugger for the 2008 Home Run Derby title Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

Hamilton smacked 28 homers in the first round, a single-round Home Run Derby record, which easily put him in the final with Morneau. But with the two-round totals erased for the final, Hamilton didn't settle into a groove and hit just three.

Morneau was the final addition to the Derby lineup and, ironically, had the fewest regular-season home runs of all the contestants with 14. He is the first Twins player to win the Home Run Derby, and just the third Twins player to take part in the contest. Tom Brunansky (1985) and Gary Gaetti (1989) were the others.

Morneau participated in the Derby last season in San Francisco, but hit just four home runs and didn't make it out of the first round. This year, however, he hit eight, which tied him with Houston's Lance Berkman for the first-round lead through seven hitters.

Only the top four advance from the first round, and Milwaukee's Ryan Braun had seven, Florida's Dan Uggla and Cleveland's Grady Sizemore each hit six, Philadelphia's Chase Utley had five, while Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria managed three.

Then Hamilton stepped to the plate and began hitting home run after home run. The left-hander blasted majestic homers far into the upper deck in right field and into the wall behind the right field bleachers. Three of the homers traveled more than 500 feet. His 28 homers eclipsed Bobby Abreu's single-round record of 24, which he set in 2005.

Derby finalists are determined by adding first- and second-round totals, and Hamilton cruised, hitting just four in the second round for a total of 32. Morneau slugged nine for a two-round total of 17, out-homering Braun (14), and Berkman (14).

In the final, Morneau batted first and struggled, making outs on his first three swings. His fourth attempt, however, went into the upper deck in right field, and he followed it with an opposite field shot. After three more outs, Morneau slugged another to the upper deck in right, followed by a homer to right-center field, and a final home run to the right field upper deck.

He finished with five, which was enough to hold off Hamilton, who couldn't settle into the same home run-hitting groove as the first round. He had one home run and four outs before he launched a homer into the right-center field stands. But then Hamilton lined the ball off the right field wall, only several feet from the top of the fence.

A deep homer to center field was followed by three straight outs, leaving Hamilton with eight outs and three homers. After another out put him on the cusp of a loss, Hamilton grounded a ball hard down the right field line, ending the contest.