Parker Meadows hit a tying two-run homer in the fifth inning and a tiebreaking RBI single to spark a nine-run seventh inning for the Detroit Tigers, who beat the host New York Yankees 12-2 on Tuesday night.
Detroit (83-62) remained eight games ahead of the second-place Cleveland Guardians (74-70) in the American League Central.
Dillon Dingler drew a bases-loaded walk before Mark Leiter Jr. replaced Cruz.
Trey Sweeney made it 5-2 with a single to shallow center field when New York shortstop Anthony Volpe could not complete an over-the-shoulder catch. Leiter followed by hitting Colt Keith with a pitch and walking former Yankee Gleyber Torres, each bringing in a run as Detroit grabbed a 7-2 lead.
After Sweeney scored on Leiter’s wild pitch, Kerry Carpenter lined his fifth triple of the season to left field, driving in two for a 10-2 lead. New York made another pitching change, to Tim Hill, and the Tigers scored their final run of the frame when the Yankees could not complete a double play on Wenceel Perez’s grounder.
Cruz (2-4), Leiter and Hill combined to allow nine runs on five hits to go along with five walks as the Tigers sent 14 to the plate.
Greene added an RBI single in the eighth.
Aaron Judge hit his 359th homer off Detroit’s Casey Mize (14-5) in the first inning to pass Yogi Berra for fifth on New York’s all-time list. Cody Bellinger also homered, but the Yankees (80-64) finished with four hits while taking their fourth loss in the past 15 games.
Mize allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out eight and walked none. Chris Paddack threw three perfect innings for his first career save.
New York starter Will Warren took a shutout into the fifth until Meadows lifted a fastball into the right field seats. The right-hander allowed two runs on two hits in six innings to go along with five strikeouts and one walk.
The Tigers have alternated losses and wins for the past six games.
