NEW YORK _ It was much of the same on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
The game-time temperature was 45 degrees with swirling winds, and both the Detroit Tigers and Yankees were not much for hitting.
But in the top of the ninth inning, facing one of baseball's best closers in Yankees left-hander Aroldis Chapman, manager Ron Gardenhire made a move that turned the tide.
Off the bench came Niko Goodrum, who drew a full-count walk before Dustin Peterson recorded his first major league hit, a double off the left-field wall to score Goodrum and give the Tigers a 3-1 win at Yankee Stadium.
The Tigers received an important insurance on a Jordy Mercer RBI single up the middle one batter later.
With the win, the Tigers have a chance to win the series on Wednesday afternoon.
Not credited with the win, right-hander Jordan Zimmermann was great, allowing one run over 62/3 innings. The bullpen trio of Daniel Stumpf, Joe Jimenez and Shane Greene closed the door.
Zimmermann, who wore no sleeves on a chilly night, was outstanding against a tough lineup. Zimmermann once again relied on a steady arsenal of breaking balls. He allowed one run on six hits, struck out six batters and walked one. The only blemish on his night came in the second inning, when after a single and double, Clint Frazier hit a sacrifice fly.
How's this for a major league first? Ninth inning, tie game, go-ahead RBI double off Chapman to give the Tigers a lead. That was the script Peterson followed. His quick swing was the biggest in the Tigers' win. Peterson _ who has limited center field experience and made the team because JaCoby Jones went down with an injury late in spring training _ was spelling Mikie Mahtook. He likely will get another start on Wednesday.
Zimmermann was relieved by Stumpf in the seventh, who struck out Brett Gardner with a runner on first base and pumped his fist while Gardner slammed his bat. In the eighth, Jimenez hit a batter but snared a line drive back at him to turn an unassisted, inning-ending double play. Then, in the ninth, Greene picked up his third save of the season.
