PITTSBURGH, Penn. – The Detroit Tigers (6-1) suffered their first loss of the season Monday as the Pittsburgh Pirates (3-4) used three home runs to knock out Anibal Sanchez.
Gerrit Cole pitched six one-run innings for the Pirates in his first win of the year.
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After the Tigers were retired 1-2-3 in the 1st inning for the first time this season, Josh Harrison jumped on Sanchez's first pitch of the game for a leadoff home run to right center field. The blast was the first homer against Detroit this season.
Pittsburgh struck again in the 3rd, as Harrison singled to lead off the inning and moved to third base on a Gregory Polanco double. Sanchez managed to hold the Pirates to just one run on an Andrew McCutchen sac fly, stretching the lead to 2-0.
The Tigers' offense was shut down for the first time all season, as Cole allowed just one hit and one walk through six stellar innings.
Detroit finally made some noise in the top of the 7th inning, as Miguel Cabrera led off with a single and moved to second base on a J.D. Martinez walk. Yoenis Cespedes then singled to load the bases and knock Cole out of the game.
The biggest play of the contest came on reliever Jared Hughes' first pitch, which Nick Castellanos grounded to shortstop for a 6-4-3 double play. Alex Avila then popped out to end the rally.
Hughes got all three outs on just three pitches.
On the first pitch of the following half inning, Pedro Alvarez hit a home run to center field to stretch the lead back to 3-1. Three batters later, Corey Hart hit a pinch-hit two-run homer to put the game out of reach at 5-1.
Sanchez ended the game with 6.1 innings pitched and nine strikeouts. He allowed five earned runs on eight hits and three home runs.
Cole allowed just one run on six innings, striking out eight.
Al Alburquerque and Ian Krol pitched a combined 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Sanchez.
Mark Melancon came in to pitch in the 9th inning, though it was not a save opportunity because of the four-run spread. He allowed a leadoff double to Ian Kinsler, another double to Cabrera and a home run down the right-field line to J.D. Martinez to close the gap to 5-4.
The home run was Martinez's league-leading fourth of the year.
Cespedes followed with Detroit's fourth straight hit, but Castellanos hit into yet another double play, this one killing the 9th inning rally and bringing the Tigers down to their final out.
Victor Martinez pinch hit as Detroit's last hope, but struck out swinging at a ball that bounced at the plate.
Cabrera, who was named AL Player of the Week during the game, finished 2-4 with a double, two runs scored, one RBI and a strikeout.
The loss dropped the Tigers to 6-1 on the year, and a half game behind the undefeated Royals in the AL Central.
Game 2 of the series will be Tuesday night, as Shane Greene battles A.J. Burnett.