The Yankees lost their season-high third in a row.
Porcello (3-3) had his best start of the season, giving up four hits. He allowed 22 runs his previous four outings.
Ryan Perry pitched a perfect eighth and Jose Valverde closed the game for his 10th save.
Javier Vazquez (1-4) allowed only an infield hit through five innings. Johnny Damon got a hit as Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the sixth. Vazquez struck out a season-high seven.
The Yankees didn't get the win they wanted, but had to be pleased with Vazquez.
He responded well to getting extra time to make some adjustments after giving up three homers — matching a career high — in a three-inning start that was his shortest healthy outing since 2005.
Vazquez ended the first three innings with strikeouts and was cruising until Austin Jackson and Damon led off the sixth with singles. Ordonez followed with an RBI groundout, then Miguel Cabrera singled and scored on Brennan Boesch's single.
Porcello pitched out of jams in the second, third and fourth innings — leading to the Yankees stranding seven runners.
New York had a chance to make things interesting in the second when Jorge Posada drew a one-out walk, but Valverde ended the game by striking out Nick Swisher and celebrating with a pulsating squat on the mound.
Notes
Yankees manager Joe Girardi joked he got Yogi Berra a doubleheader for his 85th birthday on Wednesday, letting the Hall of Fame catcher watch his favorite team before and after dinner with his grandkids. … The Yankees put RHP Alfredo Aceves on the DL with a back injury and put OF Greg Golson on the roster. … Detroit recalled RHP Alfredo Figaro and sent OF Ryan Raburn to Triple-A Toledo. … Yankees RHP Chan Ho Park, on the DL with a strained right hamstring, took a step toward coming back by striking out three and giving up one hit in a scoreless inning Wednesday in an extending spring training game.