MLB

Shane Greene dominates Tigers to keep Yankees streaking

Shane Greene’s gem was no longer under his thumb. Eight-plus innings of shutout pitching were complete and he was seated in the dugout watching David Robertson attempt to close out the meat of the Tigers’ lineup.

“That’s his job,’’ Greene said of Robertson being asked to protect a one-run lead in the final inning after Ian Kinsler singled off Greene to start the ninth.

Eventually, Robertson sealed a 1-0 victory in front of 47,013 Thursday at Yankee Stadium, but it wasn’t smooth.

The win kept the Yankees five games behind the Orioles in the AL East, and they are now a half-game behind the Royals and tied with the Blue Jays for the second AL wild-card spot.

Believing Greene’s stuff was still crisp, manager Joe Girardi had allowed Greene to face Kinsler, then called for his closer.

Robertson walked Victor Martinez to put runners at first and second for pinch-hitter Miguel Cabrera.

“I didn’t throw the pitch exactly where I wanted it, but the outcome was good,’’ Robertson said of the 1-1 offering Cabrera hit into a 4-3 double play. “I wanted to throw it down and away and it backed up into the zone.’’

Now there was one out to get with Kinsler on third, and after Francisco Cervelli made two outstanding blocks on pitches in the dirt to save the run, Robertson retired Don Kelly on a pop-up to end it and post his 31st save in 33 chances.

In his sixth major league start, Greene was good enough to make the lone run given to him in the fourth on Stephen Drew’s two-out, RBI ground-rule double stand up.

Working with a biting slider and turbo sinker for the most of the game, Greene got his biggest out with another pitch, one that Victor Martinez banged into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play in the sixth.

“It was a four-seamer [fastball]. I knew if I located it down and away I would get the result and I did,’’ said Greene, who gave up one-out singles to Ezequiel Carrera and Kinsler before the big double play.

The Yankees’ fifth win in six games capped taking three of four from the Tigers, who started the last three AL Cy Young Award winners in the first three games of the series. At 60-54 the Yankees are a season-high six games over .500 for the third time this season.

Stephen Drew’s RBI double accounted for the lone run of the game.Getty Images

Of the 25-year-old Greene’s six big league starts, Wednesday’s was the best and upped his record to 3-1.

“They gave me the opportunity and I am trying to make the most of it,’’ said the rookie right-hander who gave up five hits, walked three and fanned five.

By now everybody knows how the Yankees lost four of five starters to injuries before the All-Star break. Greene arrived on July 7 and hurled gems against the Indians and Orioles. The next three starts were so-so, but Wednesday he was dominant in beating Morris County N.J. native Rick Porcello.

“We faced a really good team with a really good rotation and it gives us confidence we can beat anybody,’’ Cervelli said. “We’re still there. We want to make the playoffs.’’

You watch the Yankees bleed for every run and wonder if they will hit enough to catch the AL East-leading Orioles. Then you see Brandon McCarthy, Hiroki Kuroda, Chris Capuano and Greene collectively out-pitch Max Scherzer, David Price, Justin Verlander and Porcello, a 13-game winner, and you wonder if it’s not impossible.

“We expected to win the series, I don’t care who is pitching,’’ said Chase Headley who helped build the lone run with a single.

Cervelli mentioned October and Girardi is thinking about extending the season.

“We needed to play better at home and we are winning close games at home,’’ Girardi said of his club that is 28-27 at home and has won 11 of the last 15 in The Bronx. “We need to do that if we want to play in October.’’

They will also require Greene to pitch like he did Thursday.