With his wife, parents and two brothers in the stands, Niese (1-0) gave up Carlos Quentin's run-scoring single and Yonder Alonso's solo homer before walking off to a standing ovation with two outs in the seventh.
New York reliever Joba Chamberlain let Detroit take a four-run lead into the ninth, loading the bases by giving up a single to Cabrera and walking Fielder and Martinez to set up Dirks for a sacrifice fly.