Recap: Detroit vs. NY Yankees
Sports Network | September 01, 2008
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Alex Rodriguez stroked three hits, drove in four runs and scored twice, as the New York Yankees opened a big lead and held on for a 13-9 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the makeup of a May rainout at Comerica Park. The first four batters in the New York lineup -- Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu and Rodriguez -- combined to go 11-for-18 with eight runs batted in and 10 runs scored. Ivan Rodriguez, in his return to Detroit following his July trade, added two hits and two runs scored for the Yankees, who opened a make-or-break 10-game road trip by snapping a two-game skid. New York, which will now head to Tampa, Seattle and Anaheim for three games each, moved 6 1/2 games behind Boston in the AL wild card race. The Red Sox were set to host Baltimore Monday night. Gary Sheffield, Brandon Inge and Miguel Cabrera homered for the Tigers, who have lost six of their last eight. Sheffield's homer was the 494th of his career, surpassing Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for sole possession of 25th place on the all-time list. Curtis Granderson scored three times in defeat. Justin Verlander (10-15) got the start for Detroit and didn't make it out of the second inning. He was roughed up for eight runs -- five earned -- on seven hits and two walks in just 1 2/3 frames. New York starter Sidney Ponson couldn't get out of the fourth to qualify for the win despite an 11-2 lead. He was tagged for seven runs -- six earned -- on nine hits and one walk in three-plus innings. The first four Yankees to bat each reached base and scored a run against Verlander. Damon and Jeter drew walks to start the game and Abreu singled to load the bases for Alex Rodriguez, who stroked a two-run single to center. Abreu raced to third on the base hit and scored on Jason Giambi's fly ball to left field. Rodriguez alertly took second on the throw home and scored on a two-out base hit by Hideki Matsui. Detroit answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, as Granderson doubled, advanced to third on a tapper in front of the plate by Placido Polanco and scored on a double to left by Magglio Ordonez. Ponson kept the damage to a minimum by retiring the next two batters. Verlander struggled again in the second, as Damon connected for a one-out homer over the wall in right field. Jeter singled, advanced to third on a base hit by Abreu and scored when Alex Rodriguez reached on an error by third baseman Jeff Larish. Abreu raced home on a single by Xavier Nady for a 7-1 lead and Matsui greeted reliever Bobby Seay with a base hit to chase home Rodriguez for the last run of the inning. The Tigers again got one back in the bottom of the stanza on Sheffield's leadoff homer, but wasted a golden opportunity later in the inning. After loading the bases with one out, Polanco popped up to Jeter in short left field and Ordonez flied to Nady in left. New York continued to pour it on in the third with three more runs. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for Abreu, who singled home one. Aquilino Lopez then became the third Tiger pitcher in three innings and he yielded another run-scoring single to Alex Rodriguez before a sacrifice fly by Nady gave the Yankees a seemingly-comfortable 11-2 cushion. The Tigers went quietly against Ponson in the third, but the Yankee starter did not record an out in the fourth after New York went down 1-2-3 on just four pitches in the top half of the inning. Larish led off the home fourth with a base hit off Ponson's hand and Inge followed with his 11th home run of the season. Ramon Santiago singled and Granderson drew a walk before Polanco reached on Robinson Cano's error at second base. Santiago scored on the play and Ponson left in favor of Edwar Ramirez. Ordonez knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 11-6 and Cabrera followed with his 30th home run of the season to pull Detroit within three. After Matt Joyce and Sheffield each walked, Ramirez retired Larish and Inge to keep the Yankees in front. The Tigers continued to chip away in the fifth, as Granderson walked with one out and Polanco singled. Brian Bruney (2-0), who was eventually credited with the win, took over for Ramirez and gave up an RBI single to Ordonez before setting down Cabrera and Joyce to end the inning. New York finally responded again with a two-out rally in the sixth to open some breathing room. After the first two batters were retired, Cano and Ivan Rodriguez singled before a walk to Damon loaded the bases. Freddy Dolsi took over for Lopez and surrendered a two-run single to Jeter, giving the Yankees a 13-9 edge. Abreu walked before Alex Rodriguez grounded to third for the third out. Bruney pitched around a walk in the sixth and Phil Coke gave up a two-out single to Ordonez in his big league debut before fanning Cabrera to end the seventh. Damaso Marte then worked a perfect eighth and Chris Britton worked around a one-out walk in the ninth to end the contest. Game Notes Damon, who was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, hit his 12th home run of the season...Every Yankee starter, with the exception of Giambi, had at least one hit...Joyce was the only Tiger starter without a hit...Cabrera became the seventh different Tiger to reach 30 homers, 30 doubles and 100 RBI in one season and the first since Bobby Higginson in 2000...Each team left 11 runners on base...The Tigers recalled Dolsi and pitcher Dontrelle Willis from Triple-A Toledo before the game...The Yankees recalled Coke and catcher Chad Moeller from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Game Notes Damon, who was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, hit his 12th home run of the season...Every Yankee starter, with the exception of Giambi, had at least one hit...Joyce was the only Tiger starter without a hit...Cabrera became the seventh different Tiger to reach 30 homers, 30 doubles and 100 RBI in one season and the first since Bobby Higginson in 2000...Each team left 11 runners on base...The Tigers recalled Dolsi and pitcher Dontrelle Willis from Triple-A Toledo before the game...The Yankees recalled Coke and catcher Chad Moeller from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
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