Hughes dominates as Yanks earn split of doubleheader

DETROIT - With each start, Phil Hughes continues to show why general manager Brian Cashman all but hung up the phone the last several years when the righthander's name came up in trade talks.

Still very much looking like an ace rather than a back-of-the-rotation starter, the 23-year-old Hughes flummoxed the Tigers for seven innings in the Yankees' 8-0 victory at Comerica Park Wednesday night that allowed them to split the day-night doubleheader.

The victory halted the Yankees' longest losing streak of the season at three.

Hughes, who came in 4-0 - the youngest Yankee starting pitcher to win his first four decisions of a season since Whitey Ford started 9-0 in 1950 - allowed just five hits, striking out eight and walking one. He lowered his ERA to 1.38.

Joba Chamberlain allowed a one-out single in the eighth but otherwise had no problems setting up Mariano Rivera, unused since April 30, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in a non-save situation after the Yankees blew it open with a six-run ninth.

In the day's first game Javier Vazquez pitched what was by far his best game of the season, giving up two runs in seven innings, but received no help from his offense against Rick Porcello as the Yankees stranded seven in a 2-0 loss.

The Yankees (22-11) weren't much better offensively in the nightcap against Jeremy Bonderman (two runs and five hits in seven innings), though they erupted in the ninth with six runs, four of them coming off former Yankee Phil Coke.

Brett Gardner had three hits in Game 2 and Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Francisco Cervelli added two each.

The Yankees jumped ahead in the first as Gardner slapped a one-out single to left and, with two outs and Rodriguez at the plate, stole second. It was Gardner's 16th steal in 17 attempts this season and a critical one as A-Rod reached out and dumped Bonderman's 1-and-1 slider into right for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead.

Miguel Cabrera led off the second by ripping a double into the gap in right-center but Hughes, portending his night, stranded him by striking out the side. Don Kelly ended the inning by whiffing at a 93-mph fastball.

The Yankees scratched out another run in the third as Derek Jeter, hitless the last four games, worked a one-out walk. He stole second and, after Gardner struck out looking, Teixeira drove in Jeter with a single to right to make it 2-0.

Hughes set down the Tigers (19-15) in order in the third, which included a pair of strikeouts, setting up his most impressive inning of the night.

Johnny Damon walked to start the fourth and advanced to second on Magglio Ordoñez's single. After Cabrera shattered his bat lining out softly to Jeter at short, Brennan Boesch singled sharply to right to load the bases. Hughes got out of it, however, by striking out Alex Avila swinging at a 93-mph knee-high fastball and inducing Kelly to pop to second.

Hughes turned in his third 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, ending the frame by striking out Austin Jackson swinging at a nasty 93-mph fastball. Hughes made it eight straight since Boesch's single by retiring the Tigers in order in the sixth, finishing that inning by getting Cabrera to chase a 91-mph fastball up in the zone.

That streak ended at the start of the seventh when Boesch singled up the middle but he was quickly erased when Avila grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Kelly singled to left but Hughes, with his 101st and final pitch, got Ramon Santiago to pop out to first.