The Pittsburgh Pirates evened their series with the Detroit Tigers with a dominant 4-1 victory at PNC Park on Tuesday night. Braxton Ashcraft delivered an outstanding pitching performance, allowing just five hits and one run over eight innings while throwing only 80 pitches. The right-hander, fresh off a complete game against Miami, struck out four batters without issuing any walks in what proved to be a masterclass on the mound.
The Tigers’ offense struggled throughout the contest, managing minimal offensive production against Ashcraft’s effective pitching. Detroit’s lone bright spot came from rookie Brett Callahan, who launched his first major league home run—a 393-foot blast in the fifth inning that traveled at 110 mph off the bat. Callahan’s milestone achievement provided temporary relief for the Tigers but could not spark a broader offensive uprising.
Detroit’s starting pitcher Keider Montero began the game effectively, retiring the first 12 batters on just 41 pitches. However, his performance unraveled dramatically in the fifth inning when he allowed three runs on eight batters faced using 37 pitches. The damage included a two-run home run by Oneil Cruz, who had recently returned from the injured list. Pittsburgh added an insurance run in the eighth inning before securing the victory.
The loss dropped the Tigers’ record to 61-65, four games below the .500 mark as they continue their postseason push.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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