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McCarthy, Yankees beat Scherzer, Tigers

Aug 5, 2014 - 4:36 AM Bronx, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Another Brandon McCarthy start, another win for the New York Yankees.

McCarthy had pitch-count trouble but worked into the sixth inning and struck out eight, leading the Yankees to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday to open a four-game series.

The Yankees improved to 5-0 with McCarthy (4-0) on the mound since acquiring the right-hander from Arizona last month. He was lifted with two outs in the sixth inning after throwing 116 pitches but gave up just one unearned run, five hits and two walks.

Matt Thornton, Adam Warren, Shawn Kelley and David Robertson finished the game out of the bullpen. Warren was the only one to give up a hit while Robertson struck out two in the ninth for his 30th save.

Jacoby Ellsbury had two hits and an RBI for the Yankees, who have won three in a row.

They kept Tigers righty Max Scherzer from taking the MLB wins lead. Scherzer (13-4) lost for the first time in eight starts after allowing two runs on nine hits and three walks in seven innings.

"Max kind of struggled in the first past of the game but got sharper as the game went on," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said of his starter. "He certainly gave us a good outing."

The Tigers were coming off a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. They will try to get back in the win column on Tuesday when David Price makes his Tigers debut after being acquired from Tampa Bay in a blockbuster three-team trade before Thursday's non-waiver deadline.

The acquisition of Price means the last three AL Cy Young winners all pitch for the Tigers. Price won the award in 2012, a year after Justin Verlander, who is scheduled to go for Detroit on Wednesday. Scherzer won the award last season.

"It wont get any easier," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, "but we played a good game tonight."

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was scratched from the lineup because of lightheadedness, though Girardi didn't expect him to miss any more time. In his place, Chase Headley moved over from third base to make his first career start at first. Martin Prado went from right field to third base and Ichiro Suzuki was inserted in right.

McCarthy threw a lot of pitches early on, including 34 in the second inning when he escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Alex Avila and Eugenio Suarez.

Consecutive singles by Suzuki, Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter loaded the bases for the Yankees with no outs in the third, but they scored only two runs.

Tigers center fielder Ezequiel Carrera saved at least one more with a diving over-the-shoulder catch at the warning track, limiting Ellsbury to a sacrifice fly.

Carrera, who was called up after Austin Jackson was dealt to Seattle in the three-team Price deal, laid out with his back mostly turned toward the plate and came down on the track. A base hit by Brian McCann scored the other run.

Prado's throwing error in the fifth inning led to Detroit's run when Suarez stole second base and Ian Kinsler followed with an RBI single. Andrew Romine scored the run after Suarez sprained his knee sliding into second base.

Game Notes

Verlander's girlfriend, supermodel Kate Upton, sat behind the Tigers dugout. An interaction between the couple stirred social media after Upton appeared to tell Verlander, "I've been here the whole game," and the pitcher rolled her a baseball across the roof of the dugout. Upton smiled ... Scherzer had been 5-0 in his previous seven starts ... The Yankees started a seven-game homestand ... The Tigers played the first of nine straight on the road ... The Yankees placed right-hander David Phelps on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation and recalled righty Matt Daley from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes- Barre.