The Detroit Tigers, despite damage control from their bullpen and an attempted ninth inning rally, dropped the second half of their day/night double-header with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday night by a score of 8-6, allowing the Pirates to complete a three-game sweep. It is the Tigers’ first 0-3 start since 2008.
The Tigers jumped on Pirates starter Chad Kuhl early, with Miguel Cabrera, Nicholas Castellanos, and Niko Goodrum, making his Tigers debut, stringing together a sequence of hits that gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead. The Pirates battled back with home runs by Josh Harrison and Starling Marte, taking a 3-2 lead in the third inning before stepping on the gas, capitalizing on a wild pitch from Buck Farmer, a base hit from Francisco Cervelli, and a home run from David Freese, coming away with an 8-3 lead after the fifth inning.