New York — Playing the Yankees in the Bronx is never recommended, particularly when a visiting team arrives towing a five-game losing skid.
The Tigers, though, acted Thursday as if the Yankees were to be treated as a chew toy as they whacked their way into three different leads, fell behind, then won it with a two-homer burst in the ninth to beat the Bronx's best, 8-7, at Yankee Stadium.
The Tigers cracked five home runs on the night. two of them from Victor Martinez, who had a pair of two-run blows. Jeimer Candelario, Ronny Rodriguez, and Niko Goodrum — who had four hits Thursday — also clubbed homers on a night when the Tigers got 13 hits.