Sun Aug 26 02:24:04 2007

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Clutch hitting, solid outing from Wang help Yanks tame Tigers

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Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Melky Cabrera hit a bases-clearing triple in a four-run sixth as the New York Yankees downed the Detroit Tigers, 7-2, in the second of a four-game set at Comerica Park.

Johnny Damon went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, triple and two RBI while Hideki Matsui was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored for the Yankees, who had lost three of four coming into the contest.

Chien-Ming Wang (15-6) was solid on the mound as he gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts in eight innings of work for New York, which remained 6 1/2 games behind Boston for first place in the AL East, but now sits 2 1/2 games behind Seattle for the wild card spot.

In a correction from Friday's game, the error that was charged to Placido Polanco in the first inning was taken away from him and given to Marcus Thames. Therefore, he has now gone 149 straight games without an error, a record for second basemen.

Magglio Ordonez had two hits and an RBI and Brandon Inge had two hits and a run scored for the Tigers, who have lost three of four.

Jeremy Bonderman (10-7) was roughed up as he gave up seven runs on eight hits in just 5 2/3 innings of work. It was the first time this season he did not have a strikeout in a game. Also, he has not won a game since defeating Seattle on July 13.

Detroit now sits 2 1/2 games behind Cleveland for first place in the AL Central.

Leading 3-2 heading into the sixth, the Yankees took control of the game with four runs in the frame.

With the bases loaded, Cabrera punched a triple to right that cleared the bases and Damon followed with a triple of his own to score Cabrera and make it a 7-2 contest.

Wang benefited from double plays in the sixth and eighth innings and Brian Bruney retired the Tigers in order in the ninth to finish the contest.

The Yankees jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first as Bobby Abreu hit a two-out single, Alex Rodriguez followed with a walk and Matsui brought them both home with a double to left-center.

Detroit got a run back in the bottom of the inning as Ordonez's single scored Polanco, who had walked and stolen second, to make it a 2-1 game.

Damon's eighth home run of the year, a leadoff shot to right-center in the third, gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead.

The Tigers made it a one-run game in the fifth as Inge scored on a wild pitch to make it a 3-2 game.

Game Notes

Wang is 5-0 in six career starts against the Tigers...Bonderman is 2-6 lifetime against the Yankees 10 games, nine of which have been starts...The Yankees have won four of six against Detroit this season...Abreu stole three bases in the game...The Yankees are 27-9 versus the AL Central this season...Detroit had a string of 89 games with an extra-base hit snapped...Attendance was 44,250.