Teixeira, Chavez HR’s Lift Yankees Past Tigers

Mark Teixeira and Eric Chavez delivered back to back home runs in the eighth inning off of reliever Joaquin Benoit (1-3) to turn a one run deficit into a one run lead as the Yankees grabbed the rubber game in Detroit 4-3.

The two homers made a winner out of reliever Clay Rapata (3-0) and took Hiroki Kuroda off the hook. Kuroda surrendered three runs on ten hits over 6 1/3 and left trailing 3-2 after six.

The Yankees jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks to an RBI triple from Raul Ibanez in the second inning, followed by an RBI hit from Ichiro Suzuki off Tigers starter Doug Fister.

Fister gave up two runs on eight hits through 6 2/3 but was saddled with the no decision.

Andy Dirks had a go-ahead RBI-double in the fifth inning after Alex Avila tied it earlier in the inning with a two-run blast.

Rafeal Soriano gave up two hits but did secure the final four outs for his 27th save.

*Game note- Manager Joe Girardi was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing whether Dirks' double was fair or foul.