The Sports Xchange
Aug 1, 2017
NEW YORK -- Anibal Sanchez pitched a season-high 6 2/3 innings, and Shane Greene recorded a five-out save as the Detroit Tigers held on for a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.
Sanchez (3-1) recorded an out in the seventh inning for only the second time this season as a starter. He allowed two runs and six hits while pitching to contact during most of his 101-pitch outing. Four Detroit relievers finished up.
Greene was named closer Monday after Justin Wilson was traded to the Chicago Cubs, and he recorded his first save of the year and third of his career. He ended the eighth by getting Matt Holliday on a double play, then easily recorded the first two outs in the ninth before running into trouble.
Greene walked pinch hitter Jacoby Ellsbury, who eventually reached third on a throwing error during a pickoff attempt. After Brett Gardner was walked intentionally and stole second, Greene ended it by getting Clint Frazier to pop out to shortstop Dixon Machado.
John Hicks hit a three-run homer and Justin Upton added a solo homer for Detroit, which won for the fifth time in its past 13 games.
It was Hicks' fourth homer and first since being recalled from Triple-A Toledo after catcher Alex Avila was traded to the Cubs. Upton hit his 18th, his second in three games.
Those homers spoiled CC Sabathia's 500th career start.
Sabathia (9-4) joined Bartolo Colon as the only active pitchers with at least 500 career starts. The left-hander allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.
Didi Gregorius drove in three runs with a two-run homer and a RBI single as the Yankees who lost for only the second time in nine games.
The Tigers took a 3-0 lead when Hicks hit a full-count slider on the 10th pitch of his at-bat into the first row of the right field seats with one out in the second.
Upton made it 4-0 with two outs in the third when he hit a full-count slider into the left field seats.
The Yankees halved the deficit with nobody out in the fourth when Gregorius lined the first pitch from Sanchez down the right field line for his 17th homer.
NOTES: RHP Sonny Gray will make his debut for the Yankees on Thursday in Cleveland, followed by LHP Jaime Garcia. ... Manager Joe Girardi said the Yankees are going with a six-man rotation just for this turn to give RHP Luis Severino an extra day after he threw 116 pitches Monday. ... Detroit SS Jose Iglesias did not play due to a sprained right wrist and is day-to-day. ... Tigers DH Victor Martinez was given the night off after getting hit in the foot in the ninth inning Monday. ... New York OF Aaron Hicks (strained right oblique) will start a rehab assignment Wednesday and could return by next week when the Yankees face the Boston Red Sox.