PITTSBURGH - The Detroit Tigers had every reason to drag the weight of their Chicago White Sox sweep into Monday night. Instead, they showed up at PNC Park, took advantage of a sloppy Pirates team and snapped the skid with an 8-5 win.
A.J. Hinch had already made his point before the game: sulking wasn’t going to fix anything.
The Tigers listened, at least enough to keep moving. They were messy at times, sure, but not nearly as messy as Pittsburgh, and that was enough to turn a rough stretch into a needed win.
The result nudged Detroit to 61-64 and dropped the club into a three-way tie for the final American League wild-card spot with the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers, who were also at 61-64. The Toronto Blue Jays sat half a game back at 61-65, with the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians both at 60-65. Six teams, one game apart, one playoff spot.
Detroit did some of its best work right away. After Gleyber Torres opened the first inning with a walk, Kevin McGonigle struck out and Dillon Dingler flied out, which made it feel briefly like the Tigers’ recent offensive funk might be hanging around.
Then Colt Keith singled to left, Zack McKinstry drove in Torres with a single to center, and Hao-Yu Lee followed with another RBI single. Before the inning was over, Detroit had grabbed the lead.
McGonigle delivered the biggest swing of the night in the second. Torres singled, then McGonigle launched a 405-foot homer to right center, a shot that bounced off the concrete concourse behind the seats and near the Allegheny River. Two innings in, the Tigers had four runs and a much better feeling.
Max Clark added to it in the fifth with an RBI single, part of a two-hit night for the rookie. The adjustment to his right-leg load has started to pay off, especially against fastballs, the pitch he sees most often. On Monday, he handled it.
The Tigers kept getting help from the Pirates too. Pittsburgh walked in a run during a three-run sixth that pushed Detroit’s lead to 8-1, after the Tigers had already done the hard part early. They didn’t need much from the home team, but they got it anyway.
Framber Valdez wasn’t spotless, but he gave Detroit enough to work with. He ran into trouble in the second inning after a leadoff walk and a single, then escaped with help from his defense. McGonigle made a strong scoop and throw on a grounder to third, and Clark ran down a ball to the wall in left center and made the catch look easy.
Valdez settled in after that, though an unearned run crossed in the fifth when Hao-Yu Lee threw a routine grounder into the dirt at first base and Keith couldn’t handle it. The sixth got shaky again.
Valdez struck out the leadoff hitter, allowed a double, got a groundout, then walked two straight batters to load the bases. Nick Yorke made him pay, lining a sinker to left for a bases-clearing double on a 3-1 count and trimming the Tigers’ lead to 8-4.
Kyle Finnegan took over and allowed an RBI single before finishing the inning. The Pirates threatened again in the seventh after Javy Baez booted a leadoff grounder, but Drew Sommers entered with runners on first and second and one out, escaped the jam, then worked the eighth with two strikeouts.
Kenley Jansen shut it down in the ninth on eight pitches, seven for strikes.
The Tigers now turn to Braxton Ashcroft, who is lined up to start for Pittsburgh on Tuesday. He’s been the Pirates’ best starter this season, even with reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes slated to go Wednesday and coming off a down year. Ashcroft needed just 85 pitches for a complete game three-hitter in his last outing, allowing one run to the Marlins.
Detroit will counter with Keider Montero, who has been its second-most reliable pitcher this season behind Troy Melton. He’ll have a chance to keep the Tigers moving forward and put a little more distance between them and the disappointing weekend against the White Sox.
In Other News...
Josue Briceo Is Giving Tigers Fans A New Reason To Trust Scott Harris
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Josue Briceo is starting to make that patience look a little more justified. After a recent promotion to Triple-A, the young hitter has made an immediate impression, adding another reminder that the Tigers may have real homegrown impact talent on the way. Harris has resisted the temptation to cash in those kinds of players for short-term help, and Briceos emergence only sharpens the stakes around that philosophy. If Detroit keeps holding onto its best prospects, the payoff may come from within rather than from a splashy trade. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Already Have A Worrying Skubal Trade Problem
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What makes it more frustrating is that Smith is not the only name from the deal dealing with setbacks. River Ryan and Zyhir Hope have also run into injuries or performance issues this season, which leaves the trade looking murkier by the week from Detroits side. For a front office that was hoping to restock the system with upside, the early returns have become more about survival than progress. [Read more 🡒]
Kerry Carpenter Update Leaves Tigers Facing A Brutal Stretch Run
Kerry Carpenters absence has quickly become one of the more significant developments in the Tigers stretch run, with the left-handed bat landing on the 10-day injured list July 27 because of left foot plantar fasciitis. For a Detroit lineup that has leaned on Carpenter for impact at key spots, the injury shifts the burden to a group of players who now have to absorb his at-bats and keep the offense moving while the club tries to stay on course.
A.J. Hinch said Carpenter has been sent to see a foot specialist, adding another layer of uncertainty to a situation that already carried plenty of concern. The Tigers do have options to cover his role, but the bigger question is how long theyll need to do it, and whether Detroit can navigate a difficult finish without one of its more dangerous bats back in the fold. [Read more 🡒]