Kerry Carpenter delivered the go-ahead, pinch-hit single in the ninth inning as the Detroit Tigers scored four runs in the frame to rally for a 5-3 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday afternoon.
The Detroit uprising came against Pirates closer David Bednar (1-1), who gave up four runs, three hits, two hit batters and a walk while recording just one out.
Pittsburgh led by two before Bednar walked Riley Greene and hit Spencer Torkelson — the latter was pinch-run for by Zach McKinstry.
Gio Urshela then singled up the middle to score Greene, and McKinstry also came around as Michael A. Taylor’s throw to third base bounced into the dugout.
Two batters later, Carpenter drove in the go-ahead run with a single to left. Bednar hit Javier Baez with a pitch, and then allowed a run-scoring single by Jake Rogers that put Detroit ahead 5-3.
Roansy Contreras was called to replace Bednar. Contreras retired Matt Vierling and Mark Canha to finally end the top of the ninth for Pittsburgh.
Detroit reliever Jason Foley came in to finish the game, but was greeted with a Rowdy Tellez single. However, he got Taylor to ground into a double play two pitches later.
After giving up a single to Henry Davis, Foley got Oneil Cruz to ground out to end the game and pick up his third save of the year.
Shelby Miller (3-0) got the win for Detroit after pitching a perfect bottom of the eighth.
Pirates starter Martin Perez pitched eight innings of six-hit, one-run ball, while striking out seven and walking none.
Earlier, Vierling and Greene singled in the first inning and Torkelson drove in the game’s first run on a single to center field. Perez then got Urshela to ground into a double play to escape the top of the first.
In the bottom of the second, Edward Oliveras led off with a homer to knot the score at 1.
In the third, Bryan Reynolds doubled with one out, followed by Ke’Bryan Hayes’ run-scoring single to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead.
Tigers reliever Tyler Holton replaced starter Casey Mize, who lasted five innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while striking out a pair and walking one.
Upon entering, Holton got Jack Suwinski to ground out to first, but Olivares followed with his second solo home run of the game, adding an insurance run for Pittsburgh. Olivares has three homers this season.
Perez cruised through the top of the seventh inning, and retired Baez and Rogers to begin the eighth inning, before Vierling singled with two outs. Perez once again escaped any further trouble, however, retiring Canha on a fly to end the eighth.
–Field Level Media
