PITTSBURGH – Kevin McGonigle hit a two-run homer, and the Detroit Tigers held off the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5 on Monday night and moved into a three-way tie for the final AL wild-card spot.
Brett Callahan and Hao-Yu Lee also drove in two runs as the Tigers built an 8-1 lead before Pittsburgh scored four times in the sixth.
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Zach McKinstry and both hit RBI singles in the first, and McGonigle’s two-run shot in the second, his 13th of the season, made it 4-0.
McGonigle singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the sixth. Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez walked the next three batters, resulting in McGonigle scoring before Callahan hit a two-run single to make it 8-1.
Framber Valdez (8-8) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and five hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Kenley Jansen struck out two in the final inning for his 15th save of the year.
The Pirates scored their first run after Jake Mangum scored on a throwing error by Lee, then strung together a four-run inning in the sixth after Nick Gonzales doubled, Rafael Flores Jr. was walked and Mangum walked to load the bases. Nick Yorke cleared the bases with a double and Henry Davis hit an RBI single to make it 8-5.
Starter Carmen Mlodzinski pitched three innings and gave up eight hits and four earned runs. He struck out three and walked one.
With the Baltimore Orioles’ 7-6 loss on Monday to Tampa Bay, the Tigers tied Baltimore and Texas for the final AL wild card.
Up next
RHP Keider Montero (9-7, 3.22 ERA) will start on the mound for the Tigers on Tuesday against the Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (12-5, 3.88).
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