New York @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2019 ) NY Yankees 11, Detroit 12

Seemingly well on their way to claiming the best record in the majors, the New York Yankees were instead tripped up in stunning fashion by the worst team in baseball. After having their three-game winning streak snapped in a wild 12-11 setback, the Yankees look to get back on track when they resume their three-game series at the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.

Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius each went deep twice as New York bashed six home runs in the series opener to tie Minnesota for the major league lead with a record 276. Edwin Encarnacion and Gleyber Torres also joined the long-ball parade as the Yankees registered their third six-homer game of the season, only the second time in franchise history (2005) they have managed that feat. New York remained tied with Houston for the best record in baseball after Detroit erased an early six-run deficit and came from behind three times before Jordy Mercer delivered a walk-off single to improve to 19-50 at home. Christin Stewart has homered in three of the past four contests while Harold Castro is 12-for-25 with six RBIs over his past six games after collecting three hits Tuesday for the Tigers.

TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, YES (New York), FS Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (5-8, 4.93 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (8-10, 4.57)

Sabathia will come off the injured list and hopes to end his seven-start winless drought, although he will be on a pitch count and followed by Domingo German in relief. He lasted only three innings in his last outing against Oakland, giving up just a solo homer over three innings before his ailing right knee forced him from the game. Gordon Beckham is 11-for-25 with a pair of homers off Sabathia, who is 21-14 lifetime versus Detroit but has failed to pitch beyond 4 1/3 innings in each of his last five turns.

Boyd was 0-4 in his first nine starts following the All-Star break before winning each of his last two trips to the mound, giving up three runs and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings at Kansas City on Thursday after striking out 11 over six innings of five-run ball versus Minnesota on Aug. 31. The 28-year-old had a dominant performance in a no-decision at Yankee Stadium on April 3, striking out a season-high 13 and yielding one run and five hits over 6 1/3 innings. Gregorius is 2-for-2 with a double against Boyd.

WALK-OFFS

1. Torres is the first middle infielder in major league history with 60 home runs in his first two seasons.

2. Tigers CF Victor Reyes has hit safely in 12 consecutive games.

3. Gardner went deep for the first two times in 27 games at Comerica Park to set a career high with his 22nd and 23rd homers.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, Tigers 4