A nightmarish season for Greg Bird nearly hit a high point in the bottom of the eighth on Sunday, but instead of a potential game-winning grand slam against the Tigers, Bird’s fly ball was caught at the wall in right by Victor Reyes.
The Yankees went on to lose, 11-7, ending a disappointing homestand just 3-4, as they failed to take advantage of a week playing AL Central doormats Detroit and the White Sox.
And now they’ll be tested by an A’s team that could well be their wild-card opponent next month.
After Lance Lynn had his fourth straight subpar outing in which he gave up six runs in just 3 ²/₃ innings, the Yankees threatened to get back in the game in the eighth against Victor Alcantara.
Andrew McCutchen and Aaron Hicks walked to start the inning and Miguel Andujar knocked in McCutchen with a single to left.
Gary Sanchez grounded into a forceout and Gleyber Torres walked to load the bases for Luke Voit, who struck out.
Bench coach Josh Bard, filling in for Aaron Boone — who was serving a suspension stemming from his ejection Friday — went to Neil Walker to pinch hit for Austin Romine.
He went with Walker instead of Giancarlo Stanton, who wasn’t in the starting lineup for the first time since May 28, a stretch of 85 games.
Walker reached on an infield single off Alcantara to make it 8-5.
Bard again did not go to Stanton, next turning to Bird, who has slumped badly enough that he lost his starting job to Voit.
Bird’s bid to play the hero fell just short.
Lynn put the offense in a hole right away, when JaCoby Jones hit a one-out triple in the first and scored on Niko Goodrum’s two-out single.
But the Yankees went ahead in the bottom of the inning.
Hicks homered with one out off left-hander Matthew Boyd.
Andujar then ripped a double to left and scored on Sanchez’s single to left. The throw from Mikie Mahtook hit Andujar in the left hand as Andujar tried to protect his head before he crossed the plate, but Andujar remained in the game.
They left runners on the corners when Romine struck out to end the inning.
Lynn gave the lead back in the second, when he allowed three straight hits, including a run-scoring double by Reyes — the first of four hits by Reyes on the day.
Lynn then walked Jeimer Candelario on four pitches, but after a visit from pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Lynn got Jones to ground into an inning-ending double play.
But Lynn’s rough afternoon continued in the fourth when, with two on, Reyes delivered another RBI double. A two-run double by Jones ended Lynn’s outing, his shortest as a Yankee, as his downward trend continued after he pitched well in his first three appearances after coming to The Bronx.
Tommy Kahnle entered and was greeted on his first pitch by a Nicholas Castellanos two-run homer that made it 7-2.
Voit, starting again at first base, belted an opposite-field solo home run into the bleachers in right to close it to 7-3, but Reyes’ sixth-inning homer off Sonny Gray gave the Tigers a five-run cushion again.
It was the only run Gray gave up in four innings out of the bullpen.
Stephen Tarpley then made his MLB debut — instead of a more experienced reliever — and allowed three runs in the top of the ninth to end any real hope the Yankees had of coming back.
The Yankees loaded the bases with two out in the ninth, and Torres hit a two-run single off Shane Greene.
Voit, though, struck out looking to end it with the potential tying run on deck.
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