Francisco Liriano returned from a brief absence to pitch a strong game, but the Pirates' offense remained absent in a 1-0 loss to Detroit. They got shut out on two hits just a day after suffering a three-hit shutout. It's not like they were facing Max Scherzer and David Price, either. Yesterday it was the inexperienced Shane Greene, who was never a top prospect. Today it was longtime reliever Alfredo Simon, who just became a full-time starter last year. (Yes, he had a nice ERA, but his xFIP of 4.05 was nothing special.)
Liriano gave up only four hits and a walk over six innings, while fanning seven.