DETROIT _ No big-league manager, no player, likes doubleheaders.
The twin bills can have a deleterious impact physically, not to mention the potential damage it can do to a team's bullpen.
But, the schedule, as the experts say, is what it is.
And as Aaron Boone said late Monday morning: "This is obviously a big day for us. We plan on going out and getting after it right from the get-go."
With Luis Severino again pitching like an ace and Gleyber Torres, Greg Bird and Austin Romine hitting homers, the Yankees looked more than ready in a 7-4 victory over the Tigers in the first game.
But bats slumbered badly in the second game, with Aaron Judge striking out in all five at-bats, helping send the Yankees to a 4-2 loss.
The defeat snapped a five-game winning streak for the Yankees (38-18), who continue this three-city trip Tuesday night in Toronto.
The nightcap was memorable mostly because of two showdowns between Tigers right-hander Mike Fiers and Giancarlo Stanton and also the continuation of a miserable day overall for Judge, who struck out three times in the first game.
It was Fiers in September 2014, then with the Brewers, who hit Stanton, then with the Marlins, flush in the face with an 88-mph fastball. It's the reason to this day Stanton wears a faceguard at the plate.
Monday night in the third inning Fiers hit Stanton on the left elbow and the designated hitter jawed at the pitcher as he walked up the first-base line. About halfway there, Stanton took a step toward the mound and the benches started to empty but it ended there.
Stanton got his revenge in the sixth when he led off the inning by blasting his 13th homer on a hanging 0-and-2 curveball that cut the Yankees deficit to 3-2. Stanton punctuated the homer with a Baustista-esque bat flip, sun dial trot around the bases and pointing back at Fiers with his left arm after crossing the plate.
The Yankees loaded the bases later in the inning but righty reliever Louis Coleman got Brett Gardner to flyout to end the threat.
There was one more threat in the ninth against former Yankee Shane Greene. Pinch hitter Aaron Hicks led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. But Gardner struck out as did Judge. Gary Sanchez, who rested the first game, struck out to end it.
Rookie right-hander Domingo German was OK, allowing four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He was hurt by a bloop double in the fourth that should have been caught, which led to a run. Adam Warren, fresh off the disabled list, allowed an inherited runner to score in the seventh.
Down 1-0 in the third, Gardner tied it with an RBI triple that made him, 27-for-71 (.380) in his last 18 games.
Andujar led off the fourth with his second double of the night _ which gave him a team-best 20 and 28 extra-base hits overall, most among all MLB rookies _ but the Yankees stranded him.
The Tigers took the lead in the bottom half when Leonys Martin led off with a single and came around on James McCann's double that made it 2-1. Jeimer Candelario followed with a flared shot to short left, where Andujar, shortstop Gleyber Torres and left fielder Clint Frazier converged. Andujar had the ball hit off his glove _ the ball should have been caught by Frazier or perhaps even Torres, getting his first career start at short. The RBI double brought in McCann to make it 3-1.
The Tigers tacked on a critical run in the seventh. Cabrera doubled off German with two outs and Boone brought on Warren, activated before the second game from the DL, to face Victor Martinez. The DH doubled to right, making it 4-2.
In the opener, Severino was again terrific, improving to 9-1 with a 2.20 ERA. The 24-year-old allowed two runs (one earned), four hits and no walks over eight innings. He struck out 10, giving him nine career starts with 10 or more strikeouts and his fourth such outing this season.
