Craig Monroe hit a three-run homer off Scott Proctor with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Detroit Tigers avoided a doubleheader sweep by rallying past the New York Yankees 5-3 last night.

Chien-Ming Wang tied Toronto’s Roy Halladay for the major league lead with his 16th win in the day game, combining on a four-hitter in a 2–0 Yankees victory.

New York led 3–2 in the nightcap when Proctor (5–4), trying for his first career save, walked Brandon Inge with one out in the ninth and Curtis Granderson with two outs. Monroe followed with his 23rd homer of the season, a drive to left-center.

As the ball sailed high over him, Derek Jeter didn’t even turn around at shortstop. He just dropped his head between his legs and swiped the infield dirt with his hands.

Jason Grilli (2–2) retired one batter for the win, and Todd Jones finished for his 35th save in 38 chances.

Proctor threw one pitch in the opener, and Yankees manager Joe Torre had said he planned to use Kyle Farnsworth as his closer in the second game after Mariano Rivera saved the first one. It was not immediately clear why Farnsworth didn’t pitch.

Still, New York boosted its AL East lead to eight games over second-place Boston, its largest division margin since August 17, 2004.

Detroit, which has lost eight of 12, started yesterday five games ahead of second-place Chicago in the AL Central.

Yankees starter Jaret Wright struck out five and walked one in a seasonhigh 6 1-3 innings in the second game, allowing Carlos Guillen’s second-inning homer and Sean Casey’s fourth-inning RBI single.

Wilfredo Ledezma made his second start of the season and extended his scoreless streak to 22 innings before fading in the sixth. He hit Sal Fasano with a pitch leading off, then allowed a one-out double to Melky Cabrera, just the second hit of the game for New York.

Fernando Rodney relieved, Jeter pulled a double down the left-field line and Jason Giambi was intentionally walked to bring up Alex Rodriguez.

Coming in, Rodriguez was 4-for-4 with four homers against Ledezma with a walk and six RBIs. But he popped up twice against him, and against Rodney hit a slow roller to third that Inge barehanded as Jeter scored.

A-Rod was thrown out at first and was booed several times as he went 0-for-7 in the doubleheader, leaving him with one hit in 24 at-bats. After Granderson caught up with his drive to deep right-center in the fifth inning of the opener, A-Rod bounced his helmet off the infield dirt just past first base.