Brett Gardner saves Yankees after Mariano Rivera blows third save

NEW YORK -- After Mariano Rivera blew a third straight save for the first time in his famed career, Brett Gardner homered with two outs in the ninth inning to give the New York Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday for their first series win in more than a month.

Rivera (3-2) gave up another homer to a limping Miguel Cabrera and a drive to Victor Martinez in the top of the ninth, tying it at 4 and turning Alex Rodriguez's first homer of the season into a footnote.

Gardner connected off Jose Veras (0-5).

Rivera has a record 643 saves, but had never failed three in a row in 936 relief appearances. He gave up a tying homer to Cabrera in the ninth Friday night, and Gardner won it with a two-out single in the 10th.

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