DETROIT (AP) — The New York Yankees ended a 10-series winless streak as Gleyber Torres homered for the third straight game in a 6-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.
“I'm trying to follow my plan every day and when I get to home plate, do all the little things,” Torres said. “I'm just trying to enjoy this and try to hit the pitches I can hit.”
Torres is hitting .273 with 23 homers and 57 RBIs.
“I honestly think he's hit even better than his numbers would suggest,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He's been really consistent — it's been quality at-bats since jump street — and it has been good to see him put together a month like this.”
DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton also homered for the Yankees, who have won the first three games of the four-game set. They hadn't won a series since sweeping three games from Kansas City from July 21-23 and hadn't taken a road series since winning two of three at Oakland from June 27-29.
“We've been putting together good at-bats for a while, but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't,” Stanton said. “We've had a great series here and hopefully we can get the sweep tomorrow.”
Stanton reached 20 homers for the 12th time in 14 seasons, the most times at 20 in the major leagues since 2010. He has 398 homers in his big league career.
Gerrit Cole (12-4) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, winning back-to-back starts for the first time since May 28 and June 3. His 2.95 ERA dropped into second in the AL behind Minnesota's Sonny Gray at 2.92.
Ian Hamilton finished a four-hitter for his second save.
Jake Rogers and Spencer Torkelson homered for the Tigers, who have lost five straight and seven of nine on a 10-game homestand.
Detroit's attempt to use Brendan White (2-3) as an opener against New York's righty-heavy lineup was unsuccessful. He struck out the first two batters he faced but the next five reached base. Stanton had an RBI single and scored when White hit Everson Periera with a pitch with the bases loaded.
“The first two batters were incredible and then the execution went sideways,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “That all happened in a span of 25 pitches.”
Joey Wentz allowed a second-inning homer to LeMahieu and a third-inning RBI single by Everson Pereira.
Torres and Stanton homered on consecutive pitches in the fourth, the third time in four games the Yankees hit back-to-back homers. Torres is batting .340 with seven home runs in August, and the Yankees have hit 20 in their last eight games.
“I think it is a matter of wearing the pitchers down,” Stanton said. “We've had some high strikeout games, but if you see six or seven pitches, you are wearing him down for the next guy.”
Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows robbed Oswald Pereza of an extra-base hit with a spectacular running catch in the fifth.
“He's clearly a very good centerfielder, but it isn't just because of the miraculous plays like that,” Hinch said. “It's his positioning on plays and the way he can come in and turn what might be a double into a single.”
ON THE FARM
Spencer Jones, a 22-year-old Yankees outfield prospect, hit a grand slam for Double-A Somerset at Portland in Jones’ third game since his promotion.
ROSTER MOVE
RHP Spencer Howard was released by the Yankees. He was acquired as part of a minor trade at the deadline.
POWER AND SPEED
New York had at least three homers and three stolen bases in the same game for the first time this season. The Yankees, taking advantage of inattentive pitchers, pulled off two of their four steals without throws.
“We've got to get better at that, and that's on me and the coaches,” Hinch said. “We know they were one of the first teams to do this hop and jump and when they time it up, they go.”
UP NEXT
New York RHP Clarke Schmidt (8-8, 4.51) starts Thursday against Detroit RHP Matt Manning (5-4, 3.93).
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