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Scherzer, Tigers shut out Yankees

May 5, 2011 - 3:54 AM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Max Scherzer continued his splendid season start with eight scoreless innings during the Detroit Tigers' 4-0 win over the New York Yankees at Comerica Park.

Scherzer (5-0) had a season-high nine strikeouts while allowing just four hits in the quality start for the Tigers, who stopped a seven-game losing streak with a 4-2 win against the Yanks on Tuesday.

"He was really good," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of Scherzer. "He was really aggressive and used the strike zone. The main thing is he went after them."

Magglio Ordonez belted two run homer while Brennan Boesch and Alex Avila each had a pair of hits in the win, Detroit's second in a four-game series.

The Tigers welcomed Victor Martinez back into the line up where he went 1- for-3 and scored. Martinez, who signed a four-year, $50 million deal with Detroit this past offseason, had not played since April 18 because of a strained right groin.

Mark Teixeira had a double for the Yankees, who are in danger of losing their first series since an early April set in Boston. Freddy Garcia (1-2) allowed 10 hits and four runs in seven innings while fanning eight.

Scherzer, who had four straight strikeouts through the first and second innings, was rolling until a rough start of the eighth inning. After allowing the first two batters on, the righty got out of the frame with Derek Jeter fly out and a double-play grounder from Curtis Granderson.

"He seemed to be ahead of the count a lot," New York manager Joe Girardi said of the Tigers' hurler. "He threw his change up and slider when he was behind in the count and shut us down."

The slight hiccup in the eighth left Leyland with the decision to bring in his young reliever Al Alburquerque in the ninth to face the heart of the potent Yankee line up and close out the game.

Alburquerque struck out Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano and then got Nick Swisher to ground out to end the game.

Three consecutive singles to start out the bottom of the second put Detroit on the board. Jhonny Peralta's liner up the middle ended the hitting burst and plated Martinez.

Detroit made it a 2-0 game in the third when Miguel Cabrera doubled down the third base line to bring across Boesch from first. The home team then doubled its lead on Ordonez's first home run of the season with a two-run shot into the left field seats.

"I've been making adjustments all season long," Ordonez said. "Now I've found a way to get my swing back."

Game Notes

Scherzer is the first Tiger start to go 5-0 to open the year since Jeremy Bonderman during the 2007 season...Scherzer's career high strikeouts is 14 on May 30, 2010...Detroit pitcher Joel Zumaya will undergo an exploratory procedure on his right elbow next week to determine the cause of continuing discomfort. Zumaya hasn't pitched in the majors this year because of an elbow issue that cut his 2010 season short in June...The Tigers opened a roster spot for Martinez by optioning catcher Omir Santos to Triple-A Toledo. Santos played just two games as a backup to Alex Avila and had one hit in five at- bats.