Chisholm’s Homer Lifts Yankees Past Tigers in Detroit

The New York Yankees came to Comerica Park on Tuesday night and did what contenders do: they won a tight ballgame they had no business winning. A 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers wasn’t pretty, but it was effective, and in June, effective is all that matters when you’re chasing a division title.

Let’s cut to it. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was the story here. The Yankees’ dynamic infielder went 2-for-4 with his 12th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth inning that proved to be the difference-maker. That’s the kind of clutch hitting you need when you’re facing a pitcher like Casey Mize, who struck out six batters and kept the Bronx Bombers honest through nearly six innings.

Carlos Rodón wasn’t dominant, but he was competent. Five and one-third innings, six hits, three earned runs, five strikeouts. That’s the kind of pedestrian line that normally doesn’t cut it in postseason baseball, yet here we are in June and Rodón grabs the win. The real credit goes to David Bednar, who came in with the game in the balance and pitched 1.1 innings of clean baseball to lock down the save. That’s the definition of a bullpen doing its job.

A Tiger’s Bite Falls Short

Detroit fought back. Dillon Dingler was exceptional at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the third inning that started the Tigers’ scoring. Matt Vierling added an RBI double in the sixth that kept the Tigers within striking distance. These are the kinds of hits that win ballgames, but they weren’t quite enough on Tuesday. Casey Mize pitched well enough to win, but he didn’t, and that’s baseball. Sometimes your pitcher gives you four runs worth of effort and it doesn’t matter because the other team scored one more.

The turning point came in the sixth inning when the Yankees pieced together a two-run campaign. Chisholm’s blast was the headline, but Austin Wells doubled in José Caballero to add insult to injury. By that point, the Tigers were already fighting an uphill battle, and Rodón’s competence on the mound meant Detroit never got that one big swing they needed.

Grinding It Out

This is the kind of game that separates teams in October. The Yankees didn’t dominate. They didn’t blow Detroit out. They won a one-run game on the road against a team with playoff aspirations. Aaron Boone’s club is starting to show some resilience, and that should concern the rest of the AL East.

Mize will be fine. He struck out six and limited damage, but that’s cold comfort when you’re walking out of Comerica Park with an L next to your name. The Tigers had their chances and couldn’t capitalize. That’s the ballgame right there, and that’s why the Yankees are buyers at the deadline while Detroit remains in limbo.