Rodriguez Rests, but It's Hughes and Yanks Who Seem to Need a Break Less than 24 hours earlier, Alex Rodriguez's mere presence turned the Yankee Stadium crowd into a buzzing, inharmonious chorus. On Saturday afternoon, the Yankees were being blown out, Rodriguez spent the day on the bench, and the fans resorted to doing the wave for amusement. Love him or hate him, Rodriguez managed to shoot some electricity into the Yankees" deflating season when he made his 2013 home debut Friday night. But Rodriguez was rested Saturday, and the Yankees slumped and waddled to a 9-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers before a taciturn crowd announced at 45,728. Phil Hughes lasted just four and a third innings for the Yankees, giving up four runs and allowing seven hits. The outing extended a long, inglorious run: since May 15, Hughes has compiled a 2-9 record and 5.29 earned run average over 15 starts. The Yankees have won only once over their last six games. "It bothers me more than anybody," Hughes said. It's tough to go through times like this. There's only one thing I can do, and that's keep working and try to find a way out. It was difficult from the outset for the Yankees and Hughes, who gave up a leadoff triple to Austin Jackson and a sacrifice fly to Torii Hunter, the next batter. Hughes needed 54 pitches to get through the first two innings, and he fared no better during a 20-pitch third. Miguel Cabrera, who hit a game-tying home run off Mariano Rivera in the ninth Friday night, slashed at a fastball from Hughes that sailed way inside - "close to a foot inside," according to Hughes - and crushed it deep into the left-field stands for a solo home run. Two innings later, Hughes floated a belt-high slider to Jackson, who pummeled it over the left-center field wall, making the score 3-0 and stirring the Yankees" bullpen into activity. Hughes then allowed a single to Hunter before he was pulled from the game, listening to jeers from the crowd as he lumbered into the dugout. "Right now, I don't know if we have any options," Manager Joe Girardi said when asked if he might remove Hughes from the rotation. We need him to pitch well. Preston Claiborne, Hughes's replacement, did not fare much better, giving up consecutive doubles to Victor Martinez and Don Kelly that yielded three total runs - one charged to Hughes, whose E.R.A. tick up to 4.99. One inning later, Joba Chamberlain gave up a three-run blast to Hunter that made the score 9-2. The Tigers had 17 hits over all while their starter Anibal Sanchez held the Yankees to four hits in striking out eight over seven innings. He slipped up just once, allowing a two-run homer to Lyle Overbay in the fifth inning. "When he can get three or four pitches over the plate in any count, that makes it tough on a hitter adjusting to different speed," Tigers Manager Jim Leyland said. In the ninth, Overbay's run-scoring single against Jeremy Bonderman elicited whistles and sarcastic cheers from those left in the crowd. Girardi decided to leave Rodriguez on the bench in part because Sanchez was pitching. Girardi wants to find ways to rest the 38-year-old Rodriguez, who is still working to reach full strength after a long recovery from a second hip operation, and a day game against a tough right-hander after a late finish the previous night seemed an opportune time. Still, Rodriguez maintained a magnetic presence around the park. He did not speak to reporters Friday, and they surrounded him when he appeared inside the Yankees" clubhouse Saturday morning. ESPN reported early Saturday that the Yankees had delivered a letter to Rodriguez on Friday afternoon informing him that would be disciplined for seeking an outside medical opinion without notifying the club. Last month, Dr. Michael L. Gross, the chief of orthopedics at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, said that he had examined Rodriguez and went on to dispute the club's assertion that Rodriguez had a strained left quadriceps. "No, it has not happened," Rodriguez said when asked whether he was informed about any coming punishment. He added: "Maybe they sent it to my lawyers. But I'm not really going to talk about that. A person with knowledge of the situation said Saturday that the Yankees had a letter hand-delivered to Rodriguez's locker on Friday afternoon. One of his lawyers was given a copy, too. According to the person, the Yankees will probably fine Rodriguez, but they will wait to determine the exact punishment because Rodriguez has appealed a 211-game suspension given to him by Major League Baseball after its investigation into a South Florida anti-aging clinic that is said to have provided performance-enhancing drugs to players. He will be allowed to play until an arbitrator rules on the suspension, a process that could take several months. The Yankees, the person said, would wait to see how the league's punishment unfolds before deciding their own. Rodriguez's conduct has made him a highly divisive figure for fans, and his first appearance of the season at Yankee Stadium on Friday night stirred a loud blend of boos and cheers. Still, Rodriguez said on Saturday morning that the reception was better than he could have dreamed. "It was awesome," Rodriguez said. It was an amazing experience. The fans were incredible - such great energy, such a great response. It was pretty overwhelming. I was having a hard time keeping my emotions in check. One reporter noted to Rodriguez that there were many boos, as well. "For the last 14 years, there's always been a mix," he answered. Do you ever get 100 percent of anything? He added, "Yesterday was a day I'll never forget." And then came Saturday's game, one the Yankees and their fans will not want to remember.