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Lyles makes season debut versus Tigers

May 2, 2013 - 3:37 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Jordan Lyles makes his 2013 debut for the Houston Astros on Thursday night when they host the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park.

A 22-year-old from North Carolina, Lyles was a supplemental draft pick of the Astros in 2008 and reached the majors with them two seasons ago - when he was 2-8 in 20 appearances with a 5.36 earned run average.

He went 5-12 in 25 starts last season with a 5.09 ERA, while walking 42 batters and 99 strikeouts in 141 1/3 innings.

This is his initial career meeting with the Tigers.

He's taking the rotation slot of Brad Peacock, who was demoted to the bullpen. Lyles was 2-2 in six appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

For the Tigers, righty Rick Porcello aims for a second straight after a rocky start to 2013.

He was 0-2 with a bloated 11.08 ERA through his initial four appearances and 13 innings of the season, including being chased after two-thirds of an inning - and allowing nine runs - on April 20 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Porcell returned for win No. 1 seven days later against Atlanta, when he allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 7-4 victory.

Porcello has never faced the Astros.

On Wednesday in Detroit, Justin Morneau and Chris Parmelee both collected two hits to go with two RBI as the Minnesota Twins avoided a three-game sweep to the Tigers with a 6-2 win.

Miguel Cabrera had an RBI double and Torii Hunter also drove in a run for the Tigers, who had won five straight games entering the contest.

Anibal Sanchez (3-2) allowed three runs on five hits while fanning nine over six frames. He has now recorded 50 strikeouts over six starts this season.

In New York, Eduardo Nunez scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and the Yankees eked by the Astros, 5-4, in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Carlos Pena went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored as Houston lost its second straight after taking the series opener.

The Astros pulled even at 4-4 thanks to a four-run fourth inning, but good baserunning by the Yankees broke the tie in the sixth.

Paul Clemens (1-1) came on in relief of an ineffective Erik Bedard and gave up a leadoff double to Nunez, who moved to third on a wild pitch before Lyle Overbay worked a walk.

Wesley Wright relieved Clemons with one out and got Ichiro Suzuki to hit a slow grounder to second. Jose Altuve went to tag Overbay, who stopped, and the second baseman threw to first for the force out. Overbay was then tagged out heading to second, but not before Nunez crossed the plate as the go-ahead run.

"I let my team down," Clemens said. "Next time I get this opportunity I won't let it happen again."

The Astros won two of three when the teams last met in Houston in 2009. Previously, Detroit swept a three-game home series in 2006.