DETROIT — The New York Yankees won consecutive games for the first time in four weeks, beating the Detroit Tigers 4-2 Tuesday as Gleyber Torres homered for the second night in a row.
Kyle Higashioka and Anthony Volpe also homered for the Yankees, who had not won back-to-back games since Aug, 2 against Tampa Bay and the next day against Houston. In defeating the Tigers in the first two games of a four-game series, New York won consecutive road games for the first time since June 28 and 29 at major league-worst Oakland.
Last-place New York (64-68), in danger of ending its streak of 30 consecutive winning seasons, has two chances against the Tigers to end its run of 10 winless series since a three-game sweep of Kansas City from July 21-23.
Torres’ first-inning home run went 454 feet, the longest of his major league career. He has four homers in his last nine games.
“I think I'm growing up fast,” he said. “Getting a little bit more power.”
Torres was hit on the left pinkie by 97.8 mph fastball from Tarik Skubal in the sixth and remained in the game.
“Just a little bit sore, but nothing crazy,” Torres said.
Detroit (59-73) has lost four straight, getting outscored by 27 runs.
“It's not a lot of fun to be out there for nine innings when you are struggling like this,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “This isn't our first game and it isn't our first bad stretch. The reality is you have to score and we aren't putting enough pieces together.”
Michael King made his second straight start, allowing three hits in four scoreless innings while throwing a season-high 61 pitches.
“I felt like I had a pretty good steady mix,” he said. “Mixing the two fastballs up, two-seam and four-seam , I felt like I was just able to miss barrels.”
Jhony Brito (5-6) followed and gave up two hits in 3 1/3 shutout innings.
“He's had his share of tough outings, but he trusts his stuff and pitches with confidence," Higashioka said.
Clay Holmes gave up Parker Meadows’ two-run single in the ninth before striking out Javier Báez to end the game. Holmes has allowed runs in five of his last six appearances, raising his ERA to 3.42 from 2.01.
Báez went 0 for 4, including grounding into an inning-ending double play with two on in the seventh. Riley Greene lined into an inning-ending double play in the eighth.
“We had a really good chance with second and third with one out in the (third), and we couldn't get the ball out of the infield,” Hinch said. “After that, it was pretty quiet until we got some guys on in the last few innings, but we still couldn't get the big hits we needed.”
New York has 17 homers in its last seven games.
Torres hit his 22nd homer in the first inning and Higashioka his 10th in the fifth. Both were off Skubal (3-3), who allowed three runs — two earned — and four hits in six innings. Skubal matched his season high with nine strikeouts.
Carson Kelly’s run-scoring passed ball gave New York a 3-0 lead in the sixth. Volpe homered in the ninth against Garrett Hill, giving the rookie 19 home runs to go along with 20 stolen bases.
MIGGY'S FAREWELL
Detroit said its Oct. 1 season finale against Cleveland has sold out. That is expected to be Miguel Cabrera's final major league game.
UP NEXT
Yankees ace RHP Gerrit Cole (11-4, 2.95) is scheduled to start on Wednesday night against a Tigers opener and LHP Joey Wentz (2-10, 6.62).
