Pirates leadoff hitter Josh Harrison had three hits, including a two-run homer, and scored twice. Starling Marte had a solo homer and Elias Diaz supplied two hits and scored twice.
Winning pitcher Chad Kuhl (1-0) allowed four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Felipe Rivero got the last three outs to record his second save of the day.
The doubleheader, which was scheduled after a Saturday rainout, was the earliest on the calendar in major league history. Pittsburgh won the first game 1-0 and swept the three-game series.
Miguel Cabrera led the Tigers' offense with three hits, including a solo homer, two runs scored and two RBI. Nicholas Castellanos contributed two hits, two runs and an RBI.
Detroit starter, left-hander Ryan Carpenter, gave up three runs on five hits over three innings in his major-league debut. Buck Farmer (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs in two innings.
Farmer struck out the side in the fourth but got touched up for five runs on four hits in the next frame.
Jordy Mercer broke a 3-3 tie with a sacrifice fly. The next run scored on a wild pitch and Francisco Cervelli's RBI single made it 6-3 prior to Freese's blast to left field.
Cabrera hit a leadoff homer in the sixth to cut Pittsburgh's lead to 8-4.
Detroit rallied for two ninth-inning runs. Rivero was summoned after Dixon's Machado's RBI double. He gave up a run-scoring double to Cabrera, then got the last two outs.
The Tigers scored two runs in the first on Castellanos' RBI single and Niko Goodrum's run-scoring double.
Pittsburgh took a 3-2 lead in the third on homers by Harrison and Marte. Harrison's two-run shot was originally ruled a double but a replay review showed that the ball hit the left-field foul pole.
James McCann's RBI single in the fourth evened the score.
--Field Level Media
Pittsburgh | Detroit | |
Chad Kuhl | Player | Ryan Carpenter |
Win | W/L | No Decision |
5.2 | IP | 3.0 |
4 | Strikeouts | 3 |
8 | Hits | 5 |
6.35 | ERA | 9.00 |
Pittsburgh | Detroit | |
Josh Harrison | Player | Miguel Cabrera |
3 | Hits | 3 |
2 | RBI | 2 |
1 | HR | 1 |
7 | TB | 8 |
.600 | Avg | .750 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Pittsburgh | 10 | 3 | 20 | .278 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Detroit | 12 | 1 | 23 | .308 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |