DETROIT – Johnny Damon hit a homer in his first game against the team that didn’t re-sign him, helping the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 5-4 on Monday night.
Austin Jackson, a former Yankees prospect, gave Detroit a three-run lead in the second inning.
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Mark Teixeira’s two-run home run pulled New York within a run in the third inning.
Detroit’s Brad Thomas gave up two runs in three innings. Eddie Bonine (3-0) pitched 21/3 scoreless innings. Joel Zumaya gave up two runs on three hits and two walks after pitching well for 12/3 innings.
Phil Coke, also an ex-Yankee, retired two before Ryan Perry got Derek Jeter to line out to end the eighth with two on and down a run. Jose Valverde struck out the side for his ninth save.
Brennan Boesch hit a two-run single in the first after Alex Rodriguez’s two-out throwing error and the rookie hit an RBI triple in the seventh to give the Tigers a 5-2 lead.
Detroit needed the cushion.
The Yankees loaded the bases with no outs against Zumaya in the eighth and former Tiger Marcus Thames hit an infield single to pull within two runs and chase the Detroit reliever. Brett Gardner hit an RBI groundout against Coke and Randy Winn popped out against him.
With the crowd on its feet for a full-count pitch, right fielder Magglio Ordonez made a sliding snag of Jeter’s liner near the right-field line.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
REDS 2, PIRATES 1: Bronson Arroyo allowed one run over seven-plus innings and Scott Rolen and Laynce Nix doubled in runs as Cincinnati won at Pittsburgh.
Arroyo (2-2), trying for his fourth career shutout, had permitted only three singles until Ronny Cedeno led off the eighth by homering down the left-field line, his third of the season.
MARLINS 4, CUBS 2: Nate Robertson pitched six solid innings, Ronny Paulino homered Florida won at Chicago after dropping 5 of 6.
Paulino’s two-run homer highlighted a three-run seventh in which Cody Ross stole home, giving the Marlins a 4-2 lead and sending the Cubs to their sixth loss in seven games.
Robertson (3-3) allowed two runs and seven hits after dropping his previous three starts.
Chicago’s Ted Lilly (1-3) took a no-hitter into the sixth before things unraveled. Alfonso Soriano had three hits, including two run-scoring singles, and threw out Hanley Ramirez trying to score from second on Jorge Cantu’s single to left in the eighth.
PHILLIES 9, ROCKIES 5: Carlos Ruiz had four hits, including a homer in the sixth inning and a tie-breaking single off Manny Corpas in the ninth that sent Philadelphia to a win at Denver.
NATIONALS 3, METS 2: Adam Kennedy and Ryan Zimmerman hit consecutive homers to support a sharp outing by rookie Luis Atilanoto give Washington a win at New York.
Ivan Rodriguez had an RBI single in the seventh among his four hits and stole a base for Washington. Kennedy homered to right and Zimmerman to left off John Maine (1-2) in the third inning.
BRAVES 7, BREWERS 2: Martin Prado hit a grand slam, Tommy Hanson got plenty of run support in eight scoreless innings and Atlanta snapped a power drought in a win at Milwaukee.
Atlanta had gone 253 games without a grand slam before Prado’s in the sixth. The Braves had also gone four days without a homer before Troy Glaus led off the inning with a shot off Brewers starter Doug Davis (1-4).
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