Severino wins 7th straight as Yanks top Tigers 7-4 in opener
DETROIT (AP) Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton left a doubleheader split in sour moods Monday night.
Judge became the first player ever to record eight strikeouts in a doubleheader, including five punchouts in the nightcap, and Giancarlo Stanton was angry after being hit by another pitch from Tigers starter Mike Fiers.
Leonys Martin had two hits and scored twice as Detroit won the second game 4-2. New York took the opener 7-4 behind Luis Severino's eight strong innings and a six-run fourth inning.
Judge struck out eight times in nine at-bats, the most in a doubleheader since strikeouts for hitters were first recorded in 1910 for the NL and 1913 in the AL, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Judge struck out in each of his five at-bats in the late game, including with a runner aboard in the bottom of the ninth.
The five strikeouts were a career high for Judge, who led the majors with 208 strikeouts while winning AL Rookie of the Year last season.
''That's not a rough day, that's a terrible day,'' Judge said. ''But the beauty of baseball is that I get to wake up to fresh, new at-bats tomorrow.''
In the third inning of the second game, Fiers hit Stanton on the left forearm, leading to a brief verbal exchange between the pitcher and slugger. In September 2014, Fiers was pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers when he hit Stanton in the face, causing serious injuries.
''He wasn't trying to hit me, but still, with the history, don't hit me,'' Stanton said Monday. ''That doesn't eliminate pitching in - this is the major leagues - but either get it over the plate or make sure it doesn't hit me.''
Stanton hit a 456-foot homer in the sixth, then pointed at Fiers as he crossed the plate.
''I understand the history, but I thought the way he handled it today was kind of childish,'' Fiers said. ''Anyone who watches this game knows I wasn't throwing at him.''
The doubleheader made up rainouts from April 14 and 15. Both teams wore No. 42 for the second game because they were making up their postponed Jackie Robinson Day showdown.
Fiers (5-3) got the win in the nightcap, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Three relievers finished, with Shane Greene striking out three in the ninth for his 15th save. Detroit's pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the game.
''That was a great job by our pitching staff,'' Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. ''Fiers gave us a chance to win the game, and our bullpen finished it off.''
Domingo German (0-4) allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings for New York.
Martin doubled and scored on Ronny Rodriguez's sacrifice fly in the second for Rodriguez's first major league RBI, and Brett Gardner tied it with an RBI triple in the third.
Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez hit back-to-back doubles in the seventh to give Detroit a 4-2 lead. The Tigers have hit a double in 52 consecutive games, their third-longest such streak since 1908.
Severino (9-1) struck out 10 to improve to 7-0 in his last 10 starts. He allowed two runs - one earned - and four hits while walking none.
Austin Romine hit a three-run homer, and Torres and Greg Bird each homered for the AL East-leading Yankees, who briefly moved 21 games over .500 for just the second time since ending the 2012 season at 95-67; the Yankees were 91-70 last year before losing their regular-season finale.
Drew VerHagen (0-2) allowed seven runs, seven hits - including three homers - and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Torres became the first Yankees player under 22 to hit 10 home runs in a season since Mickey Mantle from 1951-53.
Cabrera hit an RBI double in the first, but Torres tied it in the third when he became the fifth New York player to reach double digits in home runs this season; Candelario leads the Tigers with nine.
Sandy Baez, a 24-year-old right-hander making his major league debut for the Tigers as their 26th man, pitched 4 1/3 hitless innings of relief.
Baez hit his first batter, Bird, then struck out Stanton.
''I'm going to keep that ball wherever I go,'' said Baez, optioned to Double-A Erie after the second game.
BIG MOMENT
The Tigers' front office was probably not focused on Fiers' first pitch of the nightcap. Twenty-two seconds later, they selected Auburn pitcher Casey Mize with the first pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
FLIGHT DELAYS
The Yankees were delayed briefly in Baltimore after a radar problem on their charter and arrived in Detroit at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. On May 17, the Yankees were forced to spend a night in Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., after the plane had mechanical problems in bad weather. New York had another long delay at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on May 24.
SCHEDULING
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is hoping for a schedule adjustment July 8-9. New York is slated to play in Toronto at 8:05 p.m. on July 8, and last Thursday's rainout at Baltimore was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader starting at 4:05 p.m. on July 9.
''Hopefully it is something that gets worked out,'' Boone said. ''But I also know it's way out of my hands and way out of my control.''
Commissioner Rob Manfred, speaking at the baseball draft in Secaucus, New Jersey, sounded open to a change that would address the Yankees' concerns about such a quick turnaround after traveling overnight from one city to another.
''It's resolvable in a number of ways. We've got a little time,'' Manfred said. ''Just in terms of the timing, it does create a difficult situation and we're hopeful that we can find a way to work through that.''
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: Frazier was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to serve as New York's 26th player in the doubleheader. He started both games in left field before being returned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... The Yankees activated RHP Adam Warren from the 10-day DL between games and optioned RHP Tommy Kahnle to Triple-A.
Tigers: C James McCann sat out the first game after leaving Sunday's game with an intercostal strain, but played in the nightcap.
UP NEXT
Yankees: New York plays in Toronto on Tuesday, when CC Sabathia (2-1, 3.73 ERA) pitches the opener of a two-game series against Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrada (2-6, 5.68).
Tigers: Artie Lewicki (0-0, 3.60) will make his first major league start Tuesday as the Tigers visit Fenway Park for a three-game series. Steven Wright (1-0, 2.25) starts for Boston.
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