New York ? Nothing gets between Derek Jeter and a fly ball – not even a teammate.

Jeter made a spectacular tumbling catch while colliding into teammate Robinson Cano in the seventh inning to protect Chien-Ming Wang’s lead Wednesday night in the New York Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers.

“That was the best play I’ve ever seen,” Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said. “That play last year when he went into the stands, he just ran out of field.”

With runners on first and second with one out in the seventh and the Yankees ahead by two runs, Marcus Thames hit fly into shallow center field. Running full speed with his back to the plate, the Yankees captain banged into Cano, who was chasing from second base. Jeter reached over his shorter teammate to make the catch, and the pair fell to the ground, with Jeter landing on top of Cano.

“I thought I could get it when he hit it,” Jeter said. “I didn’t even know Cano was coming.”

At first, Jeter thought he collided with center fielder Bernie Williams. Cano was surprised Jeter got near the ball.

“I don’t know where he came from,” the rookie said.

There were no significant injuries on the play – Cano said he got spiked above his right ankle but was OK – unlike Jeter’s remarkable 12th-inning catch against the Boston Red Sox last July 1. On that play, running all out, Jeter made the catch near the left-field line behind third base. Unable to stop, he dived headfirst into the stands and bloodied his face and bruised his shoulder.

“The one against Boston wasn’t really hard to catch, it was the afterward,” Jeter said.

Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang tips his cap to the crowd as he leaves the game. Wang earned the win in the Yankees' 4-2 victory over Detroit on Wednesday night in New York.

The crowd chanted “Jeter! Jeter!” as he retrieved his cap and serenaded him with a sing-song chorus of “Der-ek Jeter,” when he returned to shortstop.

“Two guys colliding and it doesn’t fall in – that’s why he’s one of the best shortstops in the game,” Thames said.

Back in the lineup after being hit by a pitch near his left hip Tuesday night and leaving for a pinch-runner, Alex Rodriguez struck out with the bases loaded in the third, then hit a run-scoring double against Mike Maroth off the wall in left to snap a 1-all tie in the sixth.

“I wasn’t worried about striking out; Maroth made a perfect pitch,” Rodriguez said. “When the opportunity came up again, I came through. It was nice.

The Yankees, who twice left the bases loaded, won for the 14th time in 16 games, moved a season-high four games over .500 at 25-21 and closed within a half-game of second-place Boston in the AL East. Just two of the wins have come against teams with records above .500 when the games were played.

Despite Tigers designated hitter Dmitri Young’s pregame insistence that the struggling Tigers would not back down if there was any fallout from Tuesday’s game, there was no trouble, even after Rondell White was hit by a pitch by Wang in the seventh.

White Sox 4, Angels 2

Anaheim, Calif. – Freddy Garcia pitched eight strong innings, and Paul Konerko and Chris Widger homered to lead Chicago over Los Angeles. The victory improved Chicago’s record to a major-league-best 33-14, matching the 1951 White Sox for the best start in the franchise’s 105-year history. Garcia (5-3) improved his career record against the Angels to 11-3, allowing two runs and seven hits, while striking out six and walking none. He won consecutive starts for the first time this season.

Devil Rays 14, Athletics 6

St. Petersburg, Fla. – Carl Crawford tripled and homered during a 10-run first inning, and Scott Kazmir won his second straight start as Tampa Bay beat Oakland.

Tampa Bay set a team record for runs scored in the first inning and was one shy of the club mark for any frame, set in the eighth inning of a 14-4 win over Seattle on May 28, 2000. Crawford finished with three RBIs in his first multihit game since May 9.

Kazmir (2-4), a 21-year-old left-hander acquired from the New York Mets last summer, gave up two runs – one earned – and seven hits in six innings.

Indians 3, Twins 2, 10 innings

Cleveland – Travis Hafner’s bloop single scored pinch-runner Ronnie Belliard from second with two outs in the 10th inning to give Cleveland a victory over Minnesota.

Hafner, who was batting just .167 against left-handers, hit a flare off J.C. Romero that just cleared leaping shortstop Juan Castro’s glove. Belliard was waved around by third-base coach Joel Skinner and scored when left fielder Lew Ford’s throw was off the mark.

Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 1

Toronto – Ted Lilly, Vinnie Chulk and Justin Speier combined on a four-hitter, and Toronto beat Boston to hand Bronson Arroyo his first loss in 18 starts Lilly (3-4) allowed one run and in 62â3 innings, his longest outing this season, and lowered his ERA from 8.82 to 7.59.

Orioles 3, Mariners 1

Baltimore – Rodrigo Lopez pitched eight innings of five-hit ball to end a run of seven starts without a win, and Rafael Palmeiro homered to lead Baltimore over Jamie Moyer and Seattle. Lopez (3-2) allowed one run, struck out two and walked none. The right-hander was 0-2 since winning his first two starts of the season.