Spencer Horwitz, Tommy Pham and Bryan Reynolds each had three hits and two RBIs to lead the host Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
Horwitz recorded his second consecutive three-hit game and reached base four times as the Pirates won for the second straight time to open a three-game series. Detroit lost for the eighth time in nine games.
Horwitz, Pham and Reynolds highlighted a 14-hit game for Pittsburgh. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz contributed two hits apiece.
The Pirates’ offense backed up a strong start from Mitch Keller (4-10). The right-hander gave up three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five over six innings.
The runs Keller surrendered all came on Jake Rogers’ three-run homer to center that cut the Pirates’ lead to 5-3 in the fifth inning.
The long ball was Rogers’ second of the season and broke the Tigers’ 14-inning scoreless streak.
Spencer Torkelson and Gleyber Torres each had three hits for Detroit. Jahmai Jones delivered a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the eighth off Caleb Ferguson, who allowed his first home run of the season in 43 appearances.
Detroit’s Trey Sweeney walked and Torres singled in the ninth, but Pittsburgh closer David Bednar shut the door. He struck out Wenceel Perez and Riley Greene to pick up his 15th save.
Horwitz’s two-run double with the bases loaded in the second off Tigers starter Casey Mize (9-4) opened the scoring.
Mize struggled for the second consecutive start, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and one walk while striking out five over four innings. In his prior start, Mize gave up six runs in three innings against the Seattle Mariners on July 12.
In the third, Cruz doubled with one out. Hayes then reached on a ground ball to third after first baseman Torkelson couldn’t pick an errant throw from Zach McKinstry. On the play, Cruz took advantage of Torkelson’s slow response to make it all the way to the plate and give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
Pittsburgh added two more in the fourth on RBI singles by Reynolds and Pham. Cruz followed with a double, but Pham was thrown out at the plate.
Reynolds, Pham and Hayes had RBI hits in the sixth inning as Pittsburgh re-established a five-run lead.
–Field Level Media
