The Yankees tied the series at 2-2 with the rout and the teams will now meet in the deciding game in New York on Thursday. The winner will advance to the AL Championship Series against Texas, who completed a 3-1 series win over Tampa Bay.
New York starter A.J. Burnett, who has been frustratingly inconsistent this season, had an impressive game against Detroit though he had some help.
On the defensive side, former Tiger Curtis Granderson produced two sensational catches in center field while on offense New York’s batters delivered 13 hits, with Derek Jeter driving a two-run double to provide an early lead.
“We don’t win that game tonight without defense,” Burnett said.
Yankees manager Girardi, meanwhile, was proud of Burnett. “In a must-win situation for us, he pitched one of his best games of the year,” the relieved manager said.
New York scored six runs in the eighth inning, helped by a balk and wild pitch when the bases were loaded on both occasions, to put the game out of reach as the Tigers unraveled toward the end.
Burnett, who was 11-11 in the regular season with an earned run average of 5.15, went 5 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and one run to register the win. Rafael Soriano, Phil Hughes and Boone Logan finished up to complete the four-hitter.
“I was thrilled for him,” Girardi added. “And thrilled for us.”
A big play by Granderson in the first inning may have saved the night for Burnett as the Yankees manager had a reliever warming up in the opening frame as his starter struggled.
Burnett issued three walks in the first inning, including an intentional pass to batting champion Miguel Cabrera, loading the bases with two outs and bringing Don Kelly to the plate.
Kelly jumped all over a fastball down the middle from Burnett and scorched a line drive to center.
Granderson took a step in before realizing the ball was carrying deep. He turned and raced back, leaping at the last instant to make the catch and keep the Tigers from clearing the bases for an early lead.
“If that ends up a base hit, it very well could have changed the complexion of this game,” Girardi conceded.
Burnett settled down after that and pitched superbly, and the Yankees cashed in two scoring opportunities against Detroit starter Rick Porcello.
Jeter, who had been held hitless with runners in scoring position during the series, came through in the third inning with a booming double over the center-fielder’s head to drive in Jorge Posada and Russell Martin for a 2-0 lead.
After Victor Martinez’s solo home run for Detroit in the fourth, New York added two more runs in the fifth inning on a run-scoring double by Granderson and a sacrifice fly from Alex Rodriguez before the eighth-inning outburst settled it.
“It doesn’t surprise me that the series is going five games,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “That doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Rodriguez, who had two hits and appeared to be coming out of a slump, said he was eager for Game Five.
“Today we had tremendous energy, right from batting practice,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t wait to go home. Our fans will be rocking in the Bronx.”
Scheduled to pitch for the Yankees in the series finale is rookie Ivan Nova (16-4), with Doug Fister (11-13) expected to start for Detroit. The pair dueled in Saturday’s completion of the rain-suspended opener, which New York won 9-3.
