Major League Baseball

Tigers and Yankees split doubleheader

Published May. 12, 2010 8:22 p.m. ET

foxsports

Phil Hughes was sharp for seven innings and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 8-0 Wednesday to split a day-night doubleheader.

Hughes (5-0) gave up five hits and struck out eight. Joba Chamberlain pitched the eighth and Mariano Rivera closed, ending the Yankees' season-high three-game losing streak.

Jeremy Bonderman (1-2) struck out a season-best seven in a season-long seven innings. He gave up two runs on five hits and a walk.

Alex Rodriguez's two-out single in the first scored Brett Gardner, who singled and stole his 16th base this season. Mark Teixeira's two-out single in the third brought home Derek Jeter, who walked and stole second.

Detroit won the opener 2-0 thanks to pitcher Rick Porcello and a two-run sixth.

All four starting pitchers on Wednesday were very effective.

Only one of them — Hughes — has been good all season.

The 23-year-old righty is the youngest Yankees starting pitcher to win his first five decisions since 1950, when Whitey Ford was 9-0.

Hughes gave up two hits in the seventh and two hits along with a walk in the fourth, getting out of both jams dominating the bottom of Detroit's order.

Hughes didn't need much run support, but got plenty with a six-run ninth as ex-Yankee Phil Coke gave up four runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter.

The Tigers recalled right-hander Alfredo Figaro and sent outfielder Ryan Raburn to Triple-A Toledo before the doubleheader.

Figaro faced Jeter with the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth inning of the second game and got him to ground into a fielder's choice, then was charged with two of the runs that helped New York take an 8-0 lead.

Rivera pitched in the non-save situation because he hadn't been on the mound in a game since April 30.

Detroit got exactly what it wanted from the first game, a long and successful outing from Porcello that set up a victory and gave an overused bullpen a break.

Porcello (3-3) pitched seven sharp innings and Magglio Ordonez drove in one of two runs in the sixth.

"It was perfect for us,'' Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "This sets us up OK for the second game.''

Porcello had his best start of the season, giving up four hits.

"It was a big confidence-booster for me and our team needed this to help out the bullpen,'' Porcello said.

A few hours before the day game, Leyland lamented how much short starts have forced him to rely on relievers more than he'd like.

"Our bullpen will be at the Detroit Medical Center by June if this doesn't change,'' he said.

Porcello shut down the Yankees with a wicked slider after allowing 22 runs his previous four outings.

"It was more frustrating than anything,'' Porcello said.

Ryan Perry pitched a perfect eighth and Jose Valverde closed the game for his 10th save in 11 chances.

New York had a chance to make things interesting in the final inning when Jorge Posada drew a two-out walk, but Valverde ended the game by striking out Nick Swisher and celebrating with a pulsating squat on the mound.

Johnny Damon got a hit as Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the sixth.

Javier Vazquez (1-4) allowed only an infield hit through the first five innings, and struck out a season-high seven in seven innings.

"We lost the game, but it was a big step forward for me,'' he said.

Vazquez responded well to getting extra time to make some adjustments after giving up three homers — matching a career high — in a three-inning start May 1 in what was his shortest healthy outing since 2005.

Vazquez was cruising until Austin Jackson and Damon led off the sixth with singles. Ordonez followed with an RBI groundout, then Miguel Cabrera singled and Ordonez scored on Brennan Boesch's single.

"Javy pitched a good game, but we didn't get anything done to help him,'' New York manager Joe Girardi said.

Porcello got out of jams in the second and fourth innings - stranding five of the seven runners the Yankees left on base.

"Baseball is a strange game,'' Leyland said. "We go into the game with two pitchers that are struggling and both them looked like they've been pitching great all year.''

NOTES: Girardi joked he got Yogi Berra a doubleheader for his 85th birthday on Wednesday, letting the Hall of Fame catcher watch his favorite team before and after dinner with his grandkids. ... The Yankees put RHP Alfredo Aceves on the DL with a back injury and replaced him with OF Greg Golson on the roster, whose first major league hit was in the ninth of the nightcap. ... Jackson, who New York dealt to Detroit in the Curtis Granderson deal, became the first player in the majors with 50 hits this season. ... Jay-Z and Eminem were at the game to promote their concerts on Sept. 2 at Comerica Park and Sept. 13 at Yankee Stadium.