DETROIT -- Michael Pineda had a much-needed strong start. The struggling offense delivered some timely hits.

The New York Yankees still needed a couple of big defensive plays from Didi Gregorius to hold off the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Thursday at Comerica Park.

Gregorius, the team's regular shortstop, came in as a defensive replacement in the eighth. He threw out Justin Upton at home on a relay that inning, then started a nifty double play after the Tigers loaded the bases with none out in the ninth.

"You get some big defensive plays out of Didi tonight to really save the game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's always ready to play."

The Tigers pulled within a run on that double-play grounder from J.D. Martinez. Closer Aroldis Chapman then retired Miguel Cabrera on a groundout to collect his eighth save.

Jacoby Ellsbury drove in three runs, including a two-run triple during a four-run seventh, as the Yankees halted a three-game losing streak. The game was a makeup of an April 10 postponement.

Rob Refsnyder contributed two hits, two runs scored and an RBI for the Yankees. Dellin Betances (2-2) got the win in relief, allowing one run and one hit in 1 1/3 innings with three strikeouts.

Pineda had his best start of the season, holding the Tigers to one run on seven hits with eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Pineda had allowed a combined 20 runs in his previous four starts.

"That's the Michael we've seen (last year) and we know what he's capable of doing," Girardi said. "We've seen glimpses of it this year. It's just that he's made mistakes during the course of a game but he didn't tonight."

Pineda didn't feel like he needed a confidence boost, he was just frustrated with his recent performances.

"I made adjustments and kept the ball down the whole game and had a good outing," he said. "My confidence was never low. I'm a pitcher that wants to do good and help the team and I was a little sad that I wasn't helping the team. But you've got to keep working hard. That's how you get out of it."

Tigers starter Matt Boyd (0-1) held the Yankees hitless during the first five innings but suddenly became very vulnerable the third time through the order. He was charged with four runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

"They made an adjustment on my changeup and started taking me the other way," he said. "That's when I've got to make the adjustment faster to counter that. I have to be better at seeing that, so you can finish the game, instead of coming out and putting your team in a position where they have to get out of a bind."

Cabrera had three hits and a walk and scored two runs for Detroit, which has lost five of its last six.

Refsnyder broke up Boyd's no-hit bid with a double to left-center. Refsnyder advanced to third on a long flyout and scored on Ellsbury's sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 1-1.

The Yankees took a 5-1 lead in the seventh. Boyd allowed three singles during the inning, including Refsnyder's go-ahead hit.

Aaron Hicks followed with an RBI single off Bobby Parnell, the former New York Mets reliever who was making his Tigers debut.

"Parnell did get a ground ball and if it's five feet to the right, it was a double-play ball," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "They get a ground ball that's five feet to the left and it's a single. Then J.D. hits a bullet that's just in the reach of Gregorius for a double play and that changes the course of the game."

Ellsbury then smoked his triple to the right-field corner, knocking in two more runs to make it 5-1.

NOTES: Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler, who ranks second in the American League with 44 runs scored, was not in the starting lineup. Manager Brad Ausmus said it was simply a day of rest. ... SS Didi Gregorius was out of the Yankees' lineup for the same reason. "Didi's been playing a lot," manager Joe Girardi said. "If I'm going to give him a day off, I'll do it against a left-hander."... Girardi doesn't plan on any major changes to his slumping lineup. The Yankees were last in the American League with a .231 average. "It's one thing if you have one or two guys struggling. Then you shake the lineup up," he said. "When you have five or six, there's not a whole lot of shaking you can do." ... Ausmus said RHP Jordan Zimmermann "should be fine" for his scheduled start on Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Zimmermann, who is 7-2 and 2.52 ERA, missed a start with a mild groin strain.