Trailing 7-3 going into the eighth, the Tigers broke out with an eight-run frame and beat the Yanks, 11-7 at Tiger Stadium.
It was the second time in the series that Tigers bats exploded. They won 16-11 on Thursday night.
Leon Roberts' three-run homer off reliever Dave Pagan drew the Tigers to within 7-6, then the next three batters got hits in tying the game, 7-7. Dan Meyer, who's batting 28-for-76 (.368) in recent weeks, smacked a two-run double, and so did Willie Horton. Just like that, the Tigers led 11-7.
The rally made a winner out of John Hiller (1-3), who pitched three innings in relief of Tom Walker.
It took three Yankees pitchers (starter Larry Gura, Pagan and Dick Tidrow) to quell the Tigers in the eighth inning.
The Tigers (26-36) looked dead earlier in the game, as they did in their 16-11 win.
The Yankees erased a 2-0 deficit by scoring seven unanswered runs from innings three thru seven.
Meyer (three hits) continues to be red hot
John Wockenfuss hit his first homer of the season in the seventh to make the score 7-3.
Then the Tigers stunned the Yankees one inning later.
The first six Tigers got on base in the eighth, and after that the game was tied, 7-7.
Roy White's three-run homer put the Yankees ahead, 4-2, in the fifth.
Walker pitched six innings in another spot start, surrendering four earned runs.
Pagan pitched to four Tigers hitters in the eighth and retired none of them.
"Good series for us, as it turned out," manager Ralph Houk said. "We had two kind of stunning wins, and won another with good pitching. So it was a good weekend."
Still, the Tigers are just 13-23 at home, where they wrapped up a 5-7 home stand.
But they're 13-13 on the road, and that's where they're headed---for an 11-game trip to Milwaukee (4), Baltimore (4) and Cleveland (3).
"Looking forward to it," Houk said of the trip. "Sometimes you gotta get away for awhile. And we need to make up some road games anyway."
The Tigers have played 36 of their first 62 games at home.
Notes: Bill Freehan returned from the 15-day disabled list (sore back) by starting at first base. He went 1-for-4 (double)...Meyer, on his hot streak: "Skip is batting me third and I'm finally rewarding him. Seeing the ball good right now"...Former Tiger Ed Brinkman continued to give the Tigers fits in this series, with a single, a hit by pitch and by scoring two runs. He also made some nifty plays defensively...Mickey Stanley started a second straight game in center field as Ron LeFlore sat out with soreness in his left side...The Tigers had a rarity in the second inning: two sacrifice flies in the same frame.
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Tigers record: 26-36 (actual 26-36)
Home: 13-23
Away: 13-13
Last 10: 5-5
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