Sizemore helps Tigers snap streak, top Yanks

New York's Andruw Jones, right, is tagged out by Detroit catcher Alex Avila during the fourth inning of the Tigers' 4-2 win over the Yankees Tuesday night at Comerica Park.

DETROIT -- Scott Sizemore had three hits in his return to the major leagues, helping the Detroit Tigers snap a seven-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

Sizemore was called up from Triple-A Toledo to try to bolster the top of Detroit's struggling lineup, and for one night at least, the move paid off. Leadoff man Austin Jackson hit a double and a triple, and Sizemore hit a double and two singles batting behind him.

Brad Penny (2-3) pitched six strong innings without allowing an earned run for the Tigers. Daniel Schlereth pitched the seventh and eighth, and Jose Valverde finished for his sixth save.

CC Sabathia (2-2) went seven innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits. He struck out six and walked three.

Jackson led off the first inning for the Tigers with a ground-rule double down the left-field line. Sizemore followed with a double to right-center, although Jackson only advanced to third because he was tagging up, thinking the ball might be caught.

Magglio Ordonez drove in a run with a groundout for only his second RBI of the season, and Miguel Cabrera made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Penny appeared in trouble early as the Yankees put two runners on in each of the first two innings, but New York didn't score until the fourth, when Sizemore made an error that led to an unearned run. Detroit escaped further damage that inning when Brett Gardner lined out to shallow right, and Casper Wells threw out Andruw Jones at the plate to end the threat.

Penny allowed six hits, walked two and struck out one.

The Tigers added two runs in the fifth. Jackson hit an RBI triple to the left-field corner with one out, and Sizemore followed with a sharp single to right. Detroit later loaded the bases, but Ryan Raburn struck out, and Jhonny Peralta hit a soft comebacker to the mound.

Sizemore hit .224 in limited duty with Detroit last year, and he failed to win the second base job during spring training this season. But he was hitting .408 with Toledo when the slumping Tigers decided to give him another chance.

Offense hasn't been Detroit's only problem. At least four members of the Tigers' taxed bullpen were deemed unavailable before the game by manager Jim Leyland. That left Schlereth to pitch two innings. Although Mark Teixeira hit a solo homer in the eighth, New York couldn't mount a sustained rally.

Valverde then pitched a hitless ninth, one night after taking the loss in New York's 5-3 win over the Tigers.

The Yankees gave Penny some help in the sixth with some questionable baserunning. Robinson Cano was on first when a pitch momentarily got away from catcher Alex Avila. Cano started toward second but ended up in a rundown and was tagged out after Avila retrieved the ball.

Jorge Posada singled, but he was caught leaving first early before Penny made a move to the plate.

The Detroit right-hander simply had to turn and throw to second for the out.

NOTES: Teixeira's homer was his eighth of the season. ... Cano played after sitting out Monday's game with a left hand injury. ... Yankees RHP Carlos Silva is scheduled to make his first start for Class-A Tampa Wednesday night. The right-hander was released by the Chicago Cubs during spring training and agreed to a minor league contract with New York on April 9.