With his game-tying solo home run Thursday at Detroit, Mark Teixeira has five homers this year that tied the game or put the Yankees ahead in the seventh inning or later. It marks his most such homers in a single season in his career. Only one Yankees player has had more homers in those circumstances in a season over the past 12 years – Alex Rodriguez with six each in 2009 and ’10.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the back-to-back homers by Teixeira and Eric Chavez Thursday were the first by the Yankees in the eighth inning or later on the road – with the first one tying the game and the second one giving them the lead – since Aug. 25, 1955 when Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle went back-to-back in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory also in Detroit at old Briggs Stadium.

Chavez, who was given Friday night off the turf at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, is batting .467 with nine runs, two doubles, four home runs and nine RBI over his past nine games and 30 at-bats. He has hit nine home runs over his past 35 games after hitting just three in his first 42 games. In the four-game series at Comerica Park, Chavez had 9-for-16 (.563) with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI with multiple hits in each game.

The Yankees’ 4-3 victory Thursday was their first in a game decided by one run since July 13, 6-5, over the Angels. They had lost their previous eight one-run games. The Elias Sports Bureau reported that it was the longest such skid for the Yankees since 1944. The victory was also the Yankees’ eighth of the season when trailing after the end of seven innings. Last year, they had only four. The Yankees are tied with the Orioles and the Nationals for the most such victories in the major leagues this season.