Pirates/MLB
Pittsburgh Pirates Detroit 6 – Pittsburgh 2
The Pittsburgh Pirates (23-38) dropped their 6th game in a row, losing to the Detroit Tigers 6-2 on Friday night.
The hitting and pitching woes continue for the Pirates who are now a season worst 15 games under .500 and 9-23 on the road.
Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf (0-4, 4.95 ERA) continues his struggles. Ohlendorf allowed six runs (all with two outs) on 10 hits in six innings of work.
Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 3rd on a Andrew McCutchen double to deep left, scoring Aki Iwamura but Detroit would end up scoring 6 unanswered runs to take a commanding 6-1 lead in the bottom of the 6th.
The Tigers scored three runs in the 4th inning, including a Brennan Boesch solo shot and shortstop Ramon Santiago added a two-run homer in a three run 6th inning.
The Pirates managed just 5 hits in the game. Andrew McCutchen (2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run) and Garrett Jones (2-for-4, 1 RBI) combined for 4 hits and 2 RBI’s in the game.
Aki Iwamura who started at second base, recorded the Pirates other hit. Neil Walker started at third base as Andy LaRoche was scratched.
Manager John Russell kept Jose Tabata out of the lineup. Tabata was not injured and Russell told reporters before the game that he didn’t want Tabata facing Tigers ace Justin Verlander.
Verlander (7-4) gave up two runs on four hits in sevenplus innings.
Both starters didn’t give up a hit until the third, when Andrew McCutchen’s RBI double put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0.
