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. Tempers flared in the Yankees’ 12-3 win Tuesday after Yankees reliever Paul Quantrill hit Jason Smith with a pitch in retaliation for Rodriguez being hit.

Wang retired his first nine batters before giving up a leadoff single to Brandon Inge in the fourth inning. After Ivan Rodriguez hit an RBI single to make it 1-all, h got Young to ground into a double play. In the sixth, Wang got Rodriguez to ground into an inning ending double play with runners on first and third.

“He was great,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “He got into a little trouble, then got Pudge to hit into a double play. He doesn’t lose his cool.”

Wang (3-1) was removed from his fifth major league start with runners on first and third and one out in the seventh to a warm ovation from the crowd of 51,833. Looking down, he shyly tipped his capped as he left, having allowed two runs and five hits.

Mike Stanton relieved and gave up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Ramon Martinez that pulled Detroit to 4-2, but Tanyon Sturtze, with help from Jeter’s catch, quashed the rally.

Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his 10th save. He is 10-for-10 since blowing his first two chances of the season — both against the Red Sox, who start at three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Friday.

New York took the early lead on Gary Sheffield’s RBI single in the first, scoring Jeter.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the third inning on Tino Martinez’s leadoff single, Jeter’s double and, after an out, an intentional walk to Sheffield but Maroth (4-4) got Hideki Matsui to ground to first baseman Carlos Pena, who threw home for the force. He then struck out Rodriguez looking to end the inning.

New York chased Maroth in the sixth, putting the first four runners on. Sheffield walked, and Matsui had an infield hit before Rodriguez hit his double. Posada ended Maroth’s night with a two-run single to make it 4-1.

“I think I could have done a better job of mixing up my pitches,” said Maroth, who gave up four runs and eight hits in five-plus innings.

Notes: The Yankees clinched winning their sixth straight series. ... The gametime temperature was 51 degrees. ... Martinez snapped an 0-for-12 slide with a single in the third. He batted ninth for the first time in his career. ... Maroth picked Posada off first in the fourth.

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