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NEW YORK -- Chase Headley is a relative novice at first base, and as the non-waiver trade deadline approached, it seemed possible the New York Yankees might acquire someone else to play the position. The Yankees made two trades for starting pitching after Headley moved from third base to first, and the veteran's bat seems to justify their decision not to add someone for first base.
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Headley continued to be productive Monday night with a three-hit game, including a two-run double in a four-run fourth inning, and the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 7-3.
"It's been different," Headley said of playing his new position. "I try not to overthink things for the most part. Just catch the ball like I've always done, but I think it's gone pretty well so far. I'm sure there are some things that are going to come up that I'm going to have to adjust to."
Headley made his ninth start at first base since the Yankees obtained Todd Frazier from the Chicago White Sox on July 19. Since the trade, Headley is batting .416 (15-for-36), and in 26 games during July batted .333 (30-for-90), his highest batting average in a month since he hit .390 in July 2015.
Headley also improved to 4-for-8 with 12 RBIs with the bases loaded when he ripped a double to right-center field off Michael Fulmer (10-9).
"Bases loaded, nobody out, you got to come through," Headley said. "He threw me a pitch in the middle of the plate, and I hit it."
Headley's sixth three hit game occurred two days after he had a pinch-hit, two-run homer off Tampa Bay Rays reliever Sergio Romo.
"I think he's having a lot of fun," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's what every player wants to feel that they're making contributions on both sides of the ball, and I think he's doing it."
Headley's latest productive showing helped the Yankees win for the 12th time in 18 games since the All-Star break and the seventh time in eight games. It also occurred after New York acquired starting pitcher Sonny Gray from the Oakland A's for three prospects.
"We're very appreciative," Headley said. "Guys were fired up when they heard the news."
Besides Headley's double, Todd Frazier delivered a two-run single and Aaron Judge hit his major-league-leading 34th home run in the fifth.
Clint Frazier added an RBI triple after Fulmer hit Jacoby Ellsbury with his first pitch of the seventh. Gary Sanchez's sacrifice fly produced New York's final run for a 7-2 lead in the seventh.
James McCann hit an RBI double, Jim Adduci had an RBI single and Mikie Mahtook had a run-scoring groundout for Detroit. The Tigers stranded 14 runners and lost for the eighth time in 12 games.
New York's Luis Severino (8-4) won his third consecutive start, allowing one run and four hits in five innings. Severino threw a career-high 116 pitches and matched his second-shortest start of the season. He struck out eight and walked three.
Aroldis Chapman got the final two outs of the game and collected his 13th save after entering with the bases loaded.
Fulmer, who allowed two hits in six scoreless innings during his Yankee Stadium debut on June 11, 2016, gave up seven runs (six earned) and seven hits in six-plus innings for his third straight defeat.
"Felt great," Fulmer said. "I thought my stuff was there. First three innings I could throw the ball wherever I wanted to and then just kind of lost command, and obviously that's what happens when you lose command, you give up runs."
Detroit took a 1-0 lead with two outs in the fourth when Mahtook singled and took second on Clint Frazier's error in left. McCann followed with an RBI double that eluded a dive by Judge in right field.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Yankees loaded the bases on two walks and an error by second baseman Ian Kinsler on Sanchez's grounder. Headley hit a two-run double to the warning track in center field.
Three pitches after Headley doubled, the Yankees took a 4-1 lead on a two-run bloop single by Todd Frazier.
Judge made it 5-1 by sending a 2-0 changeup well over the left field wall, ending an 0-for-10 skid.
"That's where the game changed," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "We had a 1-0 lead, top of the fourth, and then they scored four in the bottom, and really we never, we gave a little chase, but we never really got close again."
NOTES: Detroit GM Al Avila said he was in contact with the Chicago Cubs for about six to eight weeks before trading LHP Justin Wilson and C Alex Avila to Chicago. ... The Yankees said RHP Sonny Gray and LHP Jaime Garcia are expected to arrive in New York on Tuesday after being acquired in separate trades. Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he tried to get Garcia from the Atlanta Braves before the Minnesota Twins acquired him earlier this month. ... Avila said despite speculation about trades of RHP Justin Verlander and 2B Ian Kinsler, ownership did not give him a mandate to cut payroll. ... The Tigers recalled C John Hicks and RHP Joe Jimenez from Triple-A Toledo. The Yankees recalled RHP Jonathan Holder from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after optioning RHP Luis Cessa there. Following the game, Holder and 1B Garrett Cooper were sent down to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
