DETROIT -- Rick Porcello was sharp, Joe Nathan was composed -- and the Detroit Tigers gave their home fans reason to cheer again. What they didnt do was gain ground in the AL Central race. "All we can do is continue to go out, try and win whenever we can, play consistent," Nathan said. "Dont focus on the results, but concentrate on each at-bat and each pitch and have fun competing." Porcello pitched eight impressive innings to set a career high for victories, and the Tigers snapped New Yorks five-game winning streak Tuesday night, beating the Yankees 5-2. But division-leading Kansas City rallied past Minnesota with a ninth-inning homer, leaving Detroit still 1 1/2 games behind. "Theyre playing really, really good baseball," Nathan said. The Tigers havent played all that well in August, but theyve now won three in a row, and the vibe at Comerica Park on Tuesday was a positive one. Nathan has struggled all season, and hes had a strained relationship with Detroit fans of late, but the home crowd was chanting "Lets go, Joe!" in the ninth as the right-hander worked through his first perfect inning since Aug. 5. "It was nice," manager Brad Ausmus said. "Really, it would be a great side story if Joe could run the gamut here the last 30 or so games and endear himself to Tiger fans again." Porcello (15-8) joined teammate Max Scherzer as the American Leagues only 15-game winners, allowing two runs and nine hits. The 25-year-old right-hander threw a shutout in his previous start against Tampa Bay, and he blanked the Yankees until Jacoby Ellsburys homer in the fifth. Ellsbury added another solo shot in the eighth. Brandon McCarthy (5-3) dealt with some uncharacteristic control problems in the second, and he ended up allowing five runs and nine hits in 6 1-3 innings. "I never felt sharp, and I never felt comfortable mechanically," McCarthy said. "This happens to everyone -- you just have a game where the ball wont go where you want it, and you have to find a way to battle through it." Nathan earned his 28th save in 34 chances. First baseman Miguel Cabrera made two nice plays to close out the win. McCarthy entered the game with only seven walks in 52 innings since the Yankees acquired him from Arizona in early July, but after J.D. Martinez singled to start the Detroit second, the New York right-hander walked Nick Castellanos and hit Eugenio Suarez one out later. A walk to Rajai Davis forced in the games first run. Martinezs RBI single in the third made it 2-0, although Ellsbury cut the lead in half with his first home run of the night. The Tigers added two runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Castellanos and a double-play grounder by Alex Avila. Torii Hunters RBI single in the seventh made it 5-1 and chased McCarthy. Ellsbury hit his 13th homer of the year in the eighth. The game started after a rain delay of 1 hour, 8 minutes. New Yorks first eight outs against Porcello all came on groundballs. BACK IN A GROOVE: Martinez raised his average to .312 with a three-hit night, and with Cabrera somewhat hobbled, the Tigers will take extra offence from anyone. Martinez struggled immediately after the All-Star break, but hes hitting .338 since Aug. 8. WARM WELCOME: Derek Jeter received a standing ovation when he came to the plate for the first time Tuesday. Barring a post-season meeting, this series will be the retiring stars last in the state where he went to high school. Jeter had two hits. TRAINERS ROOM Yankees: OF Brett Gardner sat out a third straight game with a right ankle injury, but 1B Mark Teixeira was back in the lineup after sitting out Monday to rest a sore left hamstring. Teixeira went 0 for 4. Tigers: Cabrera returned after missing Sundays game with a right ankle issue. He doubled in the third. In the eighth, he went to his knees to field Brian McCanns grounder and start a double play. UP NEXT Yankees: RHP Shane Greene (3-1) takes the mound against the Tigers on Wednesday night. New York has won each of Greenes last four starts. Tigers: LHP David Price (12-9) starts against Greene. Price struck out 10 against the Yankees earlier this month in a game the Tigers won 4-3 in 12 innings. Fake NFL Jerseys Discount .A. Happs hold on a spot in the Blue Jays starting rotation is in question. Fake NFL Jerseys China .Y. -- That hangover from the Big East tournament is gone for Villanova. https://www.fakenfljerseys.com/. The team made the announcement after Saturdays 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Kenny Giles will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Adams spot on the roster. Fake NFL Jerseys Wholesale .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown. Fake Nike NFL Jerseys . Now comes an off-season of questions about manager Matt Williams decisions and a handful of key roster choices, including what to do about Ryan Zimmerman, whether to sign Jordan Zimmermann and Ian Desmond to long-term deals, and how to upgrade an offence that fell flat in October. Zdeno Chara and the #NHLBruins showed their support for the @patriots during warmups by wearing Patriots toques that read "Do Your Job" as the Pats get set to compete in Super Bowl XLIX. #DoYourJob A photo posted by Boston Bruins (@nhlbruins) on Jan 31, 2015 at 4:15pm PST What I love about Boston, Bruins pllayer wearing pats hat #socool pic.ddddddddddddtwitter.com/jbDRM47mlz — Matthew Cunha (@CunhaMatthew) January 31, 2015 Malcolm Subban wearing his @Patriots tuque on the bench during the game ?? — Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 1, 2015We know who the Bruins are rooting for Sunday!(H/T For The Win) ' ' '