Brennan Boesch drove in three runs and Johnny Damon homered against his former team, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees on Monday night.

Boesch had a two-run single in the first and an RBI triple in the seventh. Damon, playing his first game against the Yankees after spending four years in New York, hit a solo homer in the fifth.

Mark Teixeria, who hit three home runs Saturday, hit a two-run homer in the third off emergency starter Brad Thomas - the first of six Detroit pitchers.

Eddie Bonine, Joel Zumaya, Phil Coke, Ryan Perry and Jose Valverde were used after Thomas lasted just three innings. Bonine (3-0) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings while Valverde struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances

Thomas was forced into action because scheduled starter Dontrelle Willis came down with flu-like symptoms.

New York scored twice in the eighth to get within a run on RBIs by Marcus Thames and Brett Gardner, but the inning ended when right fielder Magglio Ordonez made a sliding catch of a line drive by Derek Jeter.

Sergio Mitre (0-1) started in place of Andy Pettitte, who has been pushed back to Saturday because of a sore shoulder. Mitre allowed four runs on 4 1/3 innings.

Austin Jackson had an RBI groundout in the second for the Tigers’ 3-0 advantage.