Tigers Pound Igawa, Beat Yanks 6-5

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
N.Y. Yankees	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	3		5	14	3
Detroit	1	0	3	2	0	0	0	0	X		6	13	0

The Yankees once again fell to a game below .500 with tonight's 6-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers. This is the 4th straight game the Yankees have lost to the Tigers who can't seem to beat anyone else. Kei Igawa started for the Yankees and it was more of the same from him; the ball stayed up and got hit hard. In 3+ innings he allowed 6 runs on 11 hits, and throwing him against a lineup full of very good right-handed hitters like the Tigers have wasn't a smart move by Girardi and Cashman, they set Igawa, and the Yankees up for disaster. Wilson Betemit and his "defense" at third base didn't help matters either as he allowed several balls that should have been caught to get by him, one of which was an error.

The Yankees bullpen continues to do the job; Jonathan Albaladejo threw 2.1 scoreless innings before having to leave the game with an arm injury.

(Peter Abraham reported after the game that Albaladejo said "his elbow felt like there was a needle going into it followed by a burning sensation," and that he was headed to the DL. Chris Britton will make a u-turn and head back to the Yankees tomorrow)

Latroy Hawkins pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, and Edwar Ramirez pitched in with a scoreless inning of his own.

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Igawa (L, 0-1)	3.0	11	6	6	0	0	0	18.00
Albaladejo	2.1	2	0	0	1	2	0	3.95
Hawkins	1.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	6.38
Ramirez	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00

TIGERS PITCHING

The Yankees scored their first run on a Jason Giambi solo HR in the 2nd inning of Tigers' starter Kenny Rogers, the homer was Giambi's team-leading 7th.

The Yanks added another run in the 7th when Chad Moeller hit an RBI single scoring Robinson Cano who had led off the inning with a ground-rule double.

In the 9th the Yankees did make the game very interesting. Wilson Betemit started the inning off with a double (from the left side of the plate - the only side he should ever hit from). He then moved to 3rd on a wild pitch, and was driven home by Cano on a ground out. Johnny Damon then reached on an infield single and moved to 2nd on another wild pitch. After Melky Cabrera grounded out, Derek Jeter drove Damon in with a single to left to cut the Tigers lead to 6-4. The Yankees made it even closer when Bobby Abreu hit a RBI double to cut the lead to 6-5. Hideki Matsui was then intentionally walked. Shelley Duncan came up and on a 1-0 pitch lined out to Curtis Granderson in center to end the game.

At least the team showed some fight. Something we have rarely seen from this bunch this year.

A couple other bright spots; Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano both had multi-hit games, and the Yankees as a team racked up 14 hits. The only problem, they didn't get hit with runners in scoring position, especially early in the game.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Cabrera, CF	5	0	2	0	0	0	2	.277
Jeter, SS	4	1	2	1	1	0	3	.305
Abreu, RF	4	0	1	1	1	2	3	.297
Matsui, LF	4	0	0	0	1	0	4	.333
Duncan, S, 1B	5	0	1	0	0	0	2	.194
Giambi, DH	4	1	2	1	0	0	0	.178
Betemit, 3B	4	1	2	0	0	0	2	.250
Cano, 2B	4	1	2	1	0	0	0	.182
Moeller, C	3	0	1	1	0	1	1	.290
a-Damon, PH	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.286
Totals	38	5	14	5	3	3	17
a-Singled for Moeller in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Cabrera (5, Rogers), Giambi (5, Rogers), Cano (5, Rogers), Betemit (1, Jones, T), Abreu (6, Jones, T). HR: Giambi (7, 2nd inning off Rogers, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Cabrera 3; Jeter 2; Abreu 2; Duncan, S; Giambi 6; Betemit 3; Cano 3; Moeller; Damon. RBI: Giambi (19), Moeller (4), Cano (11), Jeter (17), Abreu (22). 2-out RBI: Jeter; Abreu. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Matsui; Betemit 2; Duncan, S. GIDP: Matsui; Jeter. Team LOB: 9. BASERUNNING PO: Betemit (1st base by Rogers).

TIGERS HITTING

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kenny Rogers (6 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)

HONORABLE MENTION: Ivan Rodriguez (3-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI)

The Yanks look to even up the series tomorrow afternoon at Comerica. Darrell Rasner goes for the Yankees with Jeremy Bonderman starting for the Tigers. First pitch is set for 3:40 p.m., and the game can be seen on FOX and heard on WCBS 880.