Pirates Beat Tigers 8-3 For Doubleheader Split
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PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jose Osuna, called up from the minors to serve as an extra player for the second game of a doubleheader, hit a three-run homer to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-3 victory on Wednesday night and a split with the Detroit Tigers.
Major League Baseball rules allow teams to carry a 26th man in second games and the Pirates recalled the right-handed hitting Osuna from Triple-A Indianapolis to play right field against lefty Matthew Boyd. Osuna then opened the scoring with a shot to center field in the second inning.
In the first game, Nicholas Castellanos had four hits and a key home run, and the Tigers used 20 hits to outslug the Pirates 13-10. The teams combined for 34 hits, including four from Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera and three from Jeimer Candelario, who scored five runs.
Chad Kuhl (3-1) tied a career high with eight strikeouts in six innings in the second game. He allowed three runs, six hits and one walk in improving to 3-0 lifetime against Detroit.
Boyd (1-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He had given up just three runs in his first three starts and 19 1/3 innings.
Elias Diaz had three hits and Starling Marte drove in two runs for the Pirates.
Leonys Martin hit a two-run homer in the fifth to get the Tigers within 4-3. He also led off the opener with a homer.
After Osuna put the Pirates ahead 3-0, Candelario tripled and scored on Castellanos' single in the fourth. Pittsburgh got the run back in the bottom half when Marte drew a bases-loaded walk, which ended Boyd's night.
Marte doubled in a run in the fifth to push the lead to 5-3. The Pirates added another run in the seventh and two in the eight to pull away.
Castellanos finished 1 for 4 after going 10 for 15 in his previous three games.
In the opener, Candelario homered and doubled. James McCann also went deep for Detroit.
Pittsburgh's Francisco Cervelli had three hits and a career-high six RBIs, including a three-run homer. His two-run double in the eighth pulled the Pirates within 12-10.
Corey Dickerson also had three hits for Pittsburgh, and Colin Moran homered.
Daniel Stumpf (1-0) retired all four batters he faced for his first major league win. Shane Greene pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save in six opportunities.
Jameson Taillon (2-2) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.
MARTIN BOUNCES BACK
Martin homered in the first game two pitches after fouling a ball off his groin. He needed about five minutes to regroup before hitting a drive to straightaway center.
"He wasn't feeling very good, but he wasn't coming out of the game. He expressed that to me, right from the start. 'Don't take me out. Don't even think about it. Just let me gather myself.' And that's what he did," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said.
DOUBLEHEADER KINGS
The Tigers are the first team to play three doubleheaders before the end of April since the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox in 1982. They were swept at home by the Pirates on April 1 and split with the visiting Kansas City Royals last Friday.
26th MEN
While the Pirates called up Osuna, the Tigers added right-hander Artie Lewicki from Triple-A Toledo. Lewicki allowed two runs in one inning.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (strained right shoulder) threw a 38-pitch simulated game. He is likely to join one of the two Class A farm clubs next week to begin a rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
The three-game series concludes Thursday afternoon as Detroit RHP Michael Fulmer (1-2, 3.47 ERA) faces RHP Ivan Nova (2-1, 4.20), who is 0-3 with a 6.56 ERA in seven career games against the Tigers.
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