Thu May 1 23:54:00 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Cabrera leads Tigers to victory, sweep of Yankees

---

Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Miguel Cabrera homered, tripled and drove in three runs as the Detroit Tigers topped the New York Yankees, 8-4, to complete their first three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium in 42 years.

Magglio Ordonez went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in and two runs scored for the Tigers, winners in eight of their last 10. Ramon Santiago doubled, tripled and drove in a pair of runs. The sweep was the first for the Tigers in the Bronx since April 12-14, 1966.

Nate Robertson (1-3) earned his first win of the season after allowing four runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. Three Tigers relievers held New York off the board over the final 3 1/3 frames.

Bobby Abreu clubbed a three-run homer for the Yankees, who have dropped six of eight. Shelley Duncan drove in the other New York run, while Derek Jeter picked up a pair of hits and scored twice.

Jonathan Albaladejo (0-1) took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings in relief of Ian Kennedy, who surrendered four runs on five hits over his 4 2/3 inning start.

Tied 4-4, Carlos Guillen lined a single to right off Albaladejo to start the Detroit sixth, then Jacque Jones clubbed a double to left, moving Guillen to third. One out later, Santiago stroked a line drive to the gap in right for a two-run triple that put the Tigers on top.

The Yankees loaded the bases against Robertson and relievers Bobby Seay and Zach Miner in the bottom of the frame, but Miner got Abreu to line out to center and the Yanks came away empty-handed.

Miguel Cabrera added a two-run homer in the seventh. Miner then hurled 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and Francisco Cruceta pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game.

Robertson ran in to trouble in the first when he walked Johnny Damon and Jeter singled. Abreu made him pay by turning on a fastball and depositing it into the right field seats to put the Yankees up 3-0.

Detroit turned around with a four-spot in the third.

Santiago laced a one-out double, then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Curtis Granderson's groundout. Placido Polanco flipped a double down the line in right, and after Gary Sheffield drew a walk, Ordonez slammed a double off the wall in right to tie the game. Cabrera followed by crushing a fly ball to right that went just over the glove of a leaping Abreu for an RBI triple that gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead.

Robertson settled down and cruised into the fifth, when he walked Jeter with one out, then gave up a single to Abreu. Duncan then dumped a single to right, and Jeter came in to tie the game. After Hideki Matsui flew out to center, Melky Cabrera ripped a grounder up the middle that Santiago gloved, then flipped to a leaping Polanco to force out Duncan at second and preserve the 4-4 tie.

Game Notes

Before the game, the Tigers reinstated Cruceta from the restricted list and recalled him from Triple-A Toledo...Chien-Ming Wang (5-0) takes the mound for the Yankees Friday when they open up a three-game home set with the Mariners...Armando Galarraga (2-0) gets the ball for Detroit as the Tigers start a three-game series in Minnesota...Abreu's home run was the 225th of his career...Before the game, the Yankees announced that pitcher Phil Hughes -- who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday -- has a fractured rib and will likely be on the shelf until July...Hideki Matsui went 1-for-5 to extend his hit streak to 11 games.