DETROIT — Before the game, manager AJ Hinch was asked if this three-game series with the Yankees provided an early measuring stick for his team.

He didn’t love the question.

“I don’t think we need a measuring stick,” he said “I think we have a lot of confidence playing anybody. I realize the star power that comes with the New York Yankees. They’re good. But so are we.”

The Detroit Tigers had their skipper’s back.

On an abysmal day of weather at Comerica Park on Monday, the Tigers rode a two-out, three-run home run by Andy Ibanez and a stellar start by Casey Mize to a 6-2 win over the Yankees.

The Tigers smartly moved the start up to 3:10 p.m. ET but the conditions were still miserable. It was 38 degrees and snowing at game, with the wind was blowing at 13 mph.

The right-handed hitting Ibanez slugged a 1-0 changeup off Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon into the Tigers’ bullpen in left field after Jake Rogers and Ryan Kreidler had drawn walks in the third inning.

Rodon took umbrage with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman for the 3-2 ball call on Kreidler. The Statcast box showed that Rodon had a beef.

The Tigers took advantage of an error and a walk to score two more runs in the fifth. Justyn-Henry Malloy cashed in both with a single to center. Rogers made a great read on the ball at second and aggressively wheeled around third and scored.

Rogers, who walked three times in the game, also helped Mize out of an early jam in the top of the third inning.

With one out and the game scoreless, Yankees’ leadoff hitter Ben Rice ripped a triple into the right-center field gap.

With slugger Aaron Judge coming up, the Yankees were in position to take an early lead. But Rogers, the Tigers’ catcher, caught Rice straying too far down the line and picked him off, throwing a seed to third baseman Ibanez.

Rogers on Saturday back-picked White Sox Brooks Baldwin at first base. Huge plays.

Mize had talked on Sunday about not being bothered much pitching in cold weather and he proved it Monday. He was brilliant, allowing four hits and a run with six strikeouts in six innings.

The lone run came in the fifth after Mize put himself in harm’s way, walking Rice ahead of Judge with two outs and runner on. Judge made him pay for that, ripping and RBI single.

Mize minimized damage striking out Cody Bellinger with back-to-back splitters. The Yankees whiffed on six of the eight splitters they swung at.

Shortstop Javier Baez helped thwart a potential Yankees’ rally in the seventh.

With a runner at first and one out, Oswaldo Cabrera shot one up the middle. The ball hit off reliever Tyler Holton’s glove. Baez was able to get to the carom and tipped it with his glove to Colt Keith at second base.

Keith made the pivot and completed the double-play.

The defense wasn’t as helpful in the eighth. With two on and two out, second baseman Keith didn’t field a ground ball from Jazz Chisholm, Jr., cleanly and then compounded the matter by making a rushed and errant throw.

One unearned run scored but reliever Beau Brieske was able to end the inning without further damage.

The Tigers (6-4) have won three straight.

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