Unlike the last three games, which featured lots of home runs and almost as many errors, the Yankees went back to their old formula of pitching, defense and Derek Jeter to down the Detroit Tigers 4-2 for their fourth straight win. Jeter went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a game-tying home run in the fourth and an RBI double in the seventh. He now has six hits in his last eight at-bats, bringing his average to .303. "Everybody's chipping in, this is what our ballclub is all about, we don't count on any one individual," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "But if there has been a common denominator over the last five years, it's been the guy playing shortstop. I don't think it's any accident that he hits a double and a home run and contributes to the win big-time."

Rookie southpaw Ted Lilly gave the Yankees one of his strongest outings of the season, holding the Tigers to just two runs over 6 1/3 innings. He allowed five hits and two walks, striking out three. "He looked much more relaxed today. I thought he was terrific. He was very economical pitch-wise and had better command," Torre said. "This may have been the most comfortable start I've seen of him so far. Normally you say 'Give me five' then start thinking about what you're going to do. Tonight, I never even hesitated to leave him out there." Lilly's opponent, Detroit right-hander Jose Lima, looked as good as Lilly in the early innings, as he retired the first 10 Yankees he faced. The Tigers gave Lima a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on Shane Halter's fifth home run of the season, a shot that landed in Monument Park in left field. But New York tied it in the bottom of the inning on Jeter's 10th homer of the year, as he grooved the first pitch over the wall in left to even the game at 1-1. The Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Paul O'Neill's 15th home run of the season, his third in the last four games. Lilly cruised through the sixth inning, but got into trouble in the seventh, surrendering a leadoff double to Halter. After striking out Robert Fick, Juan Encarnacion tied the game with an RBI single, ending Lilly's night. "I was happy with the way I pitched, I needed to do that. I was locating the ball a lot better than I have before, throwing my breaking ball for strikes," said Lilly, who received his 10th no-decision in 16 starts. "I'm not frustrated by that. I pitched well tonight, but so did Lima. He kept the game close, but we ended up winning. It would have been more frustrating if I had given up the go-ahead run and we would have lost." Jay Witasick entered the game and retired the first two batters he faced, stranding the runner at first base. After Tino Martinez reached base on an error by first baseman Tony Clark to lead off the bottom of the seventh, Lima got Jorge Posada and O'Neill to fly out, leaving Martinez at first with two outs. Shane Spencer walked, bringing Scott Brosius to the plate, mired in an 0-for-14 slump. But Brosius came through, delivering an RBI single to left field to put the Yankees ahead. Witasick allowed a leadoff single to Roger Cedeno to start the eighth, but Damion Easley popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt, fouling out to Posada. Torre called on lefty Mike Stanton, who retired the next two batters to preserve the lead. Jeter added an insurance run in the eighth, driving Chuck Knoblauch home with a double to deep center field, giving him three hits on the night and knocking Lima out of the game. "The thing I liked is that he drove a couple of balls on the double and the home run. That's big for him," said Torre. "Every time he gets over the .300 mark, he seems to get a little comfortable and seems to drop back. We know what he's capable of doing." "It was a good game," said Jeter, who also stole his 22nd base. "It takes pitching in order to win and today we got a great start from Lilly, we scrapped for some runs late and then our bullpen shut them down. That's the game you'd like to play." Lima, who had a complete-game won over the Yankees last Thursday, allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk over seven-plus innings. "He pitched a good game. That's why I stayed with him in the eighth inning," said Tigers Manager Phil Garner. "I thought he had done a very good job. We made a miscue and he almost got us out of it. He got a pitch up to Brosius and he didn't miss it. As well as we played against them at home, that's what they're doing against us here. We made some mistakes, they capitalized." Mariano Rivera, pitching with new orthotics in his spikes for the first time as he looks to take the pressure off his injured ankle, retired the side in order for his Major League-leading 34th save. "It felt good. I hope it feels like that for the rest of the season," said Rivera. "I really pushed off the leg, and it felt good. I would love to test it one more time to make sure that everything is fine." Witasick got the win, boosting his record to 2-0 since joining the Yankees. "It was a great confidence-booster to come into a game like that with a runner on," Witasick said. "These are the types of games that you have to go in and perform right away, get guys out." "He's in the mix. Everybody has to get a taste of it when the heat is on. He did an outstanding job for us tonight," said Torre of Witasick. "It's all about consistency. We're used to having guys come out of the bullpen and do the job. Right now, I feel pretty good about it." With the Toronto Blue Jays beating the Boston Red Sox in extra innings on Wednesday, the Yankees' lead in the AL East now stands at 2 1/2 games. "When you're in a race like we're in now, we need to win games," O'Neill said. "If you can get a big hit here and there, make a play, that's going to help us do that. We got good pitching tonight and that always helps."