(My Sportsbook) - The New York Yankees turn to Phil Hughes as they try to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak this evening in the middle test of a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Big things were expected last season from the once highly-touted Hughes, but the 22-year-old right-hander stumbled out of the gates, going 0-4 with a 9.00 earned run average through his first six starts before being placed on the disabled list.

Hughes, who will be starting tonight in place of the injured and ineffective Chien-Ming Wang, returned to the Yankees in September and pitched to a 2.25 ERA in a pair of starts. His strong finish carried into spring training, where he was impressive in his four appearances but was still optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Detroit, though, has given Hughes some problems. He has lost both times he has faced them and surrendered 11 runs and 12 hits in 9 2/3 innings during those outings.

The Tigers, meanwhile, will counter with righty Edwin Jackson, who suffered his first loss of the season his last time out. Against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Thursday, Jackson gave up six runs - three earned - on nine hits in five innings to fall to 1-1 on the season and have his ERA raised to 5.72.

Jackson is 2-4 lifetime against the Yankees with a 5.72 ERA in 13 games, nine of which have been starts.

Detroit drew first blood in this series on Monday, as Magglio Ordonez hit a two-run homer as part of a three-run, game-changing sixth inning and Justin Verlander was stellar on the hill to lead the Tigers to a 4-2 win. Placido Polanco stroked a pair of doubles, drove in a run and scored twice for Detroit, which won its third straight game.

Verlander (1-2) got the win after going seven-plus innings and yielding just seven hits with a season-high nine strikeouts.

CC Sabathia (1-2) pitched all eight innings for New York and yielded four runs on six hits while fanning seven to take the loss.

Robinson Cano and Ramiro Pena collected two hits each for the Yankees, who lost their season-high fourth consecutive game. Nick Swisher drove in a run and scored in defeat.

Cano has hit safely in his last 14 games, one shy of the longest streak of his career.

The Tigers won four of their six meetings with the Yankees last season, but went just 1-2 at home against New York.