PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 6-3 on Tuesday, making it two straight at PNC Park. The clubs will meet again Wednesday and Thursday at the Tigers' Comerica Park, but they are heading in opposite directions.

After winning four of five road games to start their trip, the Tigers will drag a four-game losing streak back home.

"The road trip started well but ended poorly," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said after the Tuesday defeat.

Pittsburgh has won five of six to stay afloat in the National League Central title chase.

Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl (5-7) shut out the Tigers on two hits through the first five innings before Detroit scored three runs in the sixth. In all, Kuhl yielded three runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out six, walked one and threw wild pitches.

He also drove in the first two runs of his major league career with a bloop single in the fourth.

Kuhl said he was anticipating a fastball from left-hander Matthew Boyd.

"(I) got the slow curveball, and I was fortunate enough to lock in and stayed on it," Kuhl said.

Pittsburgh relievers A.J. Schugel, George Kontos and Felipe Rivero pitched the last three innings and kept the Tigers quiet. Rivero earned his 10th save.

Kuhl won his second straight decision. He throws hard -- topping 99 mph -- but "the addition of the curveball has been huge," he said.

Boyd (5-6) gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits in four innings to take the loss.

He retired the first six Pirates hitters, striking out three, but quickly faded, although he had some bad luck with soft but well-placed hits. Starling Marte's bloop single scored Jordy Mercer, who led off the third with a double, as Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead.

Andrew McCutchen's 23rd homer leading off the fourth made it 2-0. Later, Kuhl's soft hit with the bases loaded scored two more runs. Kuhl's first swing against Boyd missed wildly.

"He was just baiting him," McCutchen said.

"Just goes to show you a swinging bat is a dangerous bat," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "Quite a recovery after the first one."

Josh Harrison and McCutchen singled to start the Pirates' fifth and key a two-run inning. David Freese singled home one run, and Jordy Mercer's sacrifice fly added another.

Staked to a 6-0 lead, Kuhl retired 10 straight before singles by pinch hitter Jeimer Candelario and Ian Kinsler in the sixth. Jim Adduci's double produced the first Tigers run. After Justin Upton lined out softly, Kinsler scored on a wild pitch and Miguel Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly.

Suddenly, it was 6-3, but Detroit's offense went quiet again.

NOTES: The Pirates are 10-5 at PNC Park against left-handed starters, winning seven of the past eight decisions. ... INF Jeimer Candelario, obtained in a trade that sent Alex Avila and Justin Wilson to the Chicago Cubs, made his Tigers debut and got his first hit, a pinch single. ... Pirates LF Starling Marte's run-scoring single in the third inning was the first RBI in his past 12 games.