Sanchez homers again, Yankees rout Tigers 10-2

DETROIT -- It was a year ago in August when Gary Sanchez became a sensation, lifting the New York Yankees with his prodigious power.

Now, he's showing that was no fluke.

Sanchez homered and drove in three runs, and Luis Severino pitched impressively into the seventh inning to lead the Yankees to another lopsided win over the Detroit Tigers, 10-2 on Wednesday night. Sanchez has 26 home runs on the season and 10 this month, meaning he could easily surpass his 11-homer output from August of 2016.

"So far, Augusts have been good months for him -- and Septembers," manager Joe Girardi said even before Wednesday's game.

Didi Gregorius and Chase Headley also homered for the Yankees, who have taken the first two games of this series by a combined score of 23-6. Severino (11-5) allowed a run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight .

Jordan Zimmermann (7-11) allowed seven runs for a third straight start. New York broke the game open with five runs off him in the third.

"I wish I understood what is happening right now, because in my last three starts, I haven't done a single thing to help this team win. It is just a matter of command right now. I don't have it, and I don't know why," Zimmermann said. "My slider has been missing for two months, and now my fastball is gone."

Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias went deep for Detroit's only runs. The Tigers have lost eight of nine.

Ronald Torreyes tied a career high with four hits for the Yankees. His four plate appearances included a total of only six pitches.

"I want to be aggressive, but at the same time I want to swing at good pitches," Torreyes said through a translator. "The idea is to get on base and try to score some runs."

Sanchez homered twice Tuesday, including one drive that was estimated at 493 feet. He opened the scoring in the first Wednesday with another home run .

The next time he came up, it was with the bases loaded in the third, and his bloop single to shallow left-center field brought home two runs, giving New York a 3-0 lead.

Aaron Judge followed with an RBI double, and Gregorius added a run-scoring single. Headley's sacrifice fly made it 6-0.

Severino has permitted one earned run or fewer in seven of eight starts since the All-Star break. The lone exception came when he allowed eight against Boston on Aug. 12.

He had an extra day of rest before this start because the Yankees had Monday off. Detroit managed only two hits off Severino before Kinsler hit a leadoff homer in the sixth.

Gregorius and Headley hit solo shots in the fifth and seventh. Iglesias homered for the Tigers with two outs in the ninth.

Zimmermann allowed nine hits in five innings, with a walk and no strikeouts.

BLOWOUTS

The Yankees improved to 21-4 in games decided by at least six runs, and they are 11-0 in games decided by at least eight. They are the only team in the major leagues that hasn't lost a game by more than seven.

IN RELIEF

After a short start by Matthew Boyd on Tuesday, the Tigers at least got five innings from Zimmermann. Then Chad Bell gave the rest of the bullpen a break by pitching the final four.

Detroit optioned Bell to Triple-A Toledo after the game and announced that right-hander Zac Reininger will have his contract purchased from Toledo before Thursday's game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: C John Hicks was hit in the right arm by a pitch in the fifth but was able to remain in the game.

UP NEXT

Yankees: LHP Jaime Garcia (1-1) takes the mound Thursday, when New York tries for a series sweep.

Tigers: RHP Michael Fulmer (10-11) starts for Detroit. Fulmer beat out Sanchez for last year's American League Rookie of the Year award.

---

More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

---

Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister