Yankees' relief collapses as Tigers explode for 9 runs in 7th - ESPN

NEW YORK — For six innings on Tuesday, the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers played a clean, tight baseball game suitable for a potential postseason preview. Then the Yankees crumbled spectacularly, allowing the Tigers to pull away in a nine-run seventh inning en route to a 12-2 win.

Right-handed relievers Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. were charged with a combined nine earned runs without recording an out, becoming the first pair of major league teammates to each face at least four batters and not secure an out since 2003, according to ESPN Research.

«Sometimes it doesn't go your way,» Cruz said. «I was battling, obviously, there's no doubt. It's just one of those nights that we just need to forget. Come back tomorrow and do your job.»

The loss, combined with the Toronto Blue Jays' comeback win over the Houston Astros, dropped the Yankees to three games behind Toronto for first place in the American League East. The Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker, meaning their division lead is essentially four games with 18 games remaining. Meanwhile, Detroit moved to 83-62, remaining a half-game behind the Blue Jays for the top seed in the American League.

The Tigers tallied the nine runs on five hits, five walks (one intentional) and a hit by pitch. Cruz threw 13 of his 20 pitches for balls. Leiter threw nine of his 16 out of the strike zone, including a wild pitch that allowed the sixth run of the inning to score. It was the first time the Yankees have surrendered at least six combined walks and hit batters in an inning since Sept. 2015.

Cruz relieved Yankees starter Will Warren, who held the Tigers to two runs over six innings. He surrendered a leadoff double to Riley Greene, gave up a single and issued three walks before