Tigers Triumph Over Pirates 7-3 in Series Opener
Javier Báez showcased his power at the plate, launching two home runs as the Detroit Tigers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 on Tuesday night. The game marked a significant milestone for Báez, who celebrated his 10th year in Major League Baseball.
His solo shots came in the fifth and seventh innings, contributing to a total of four home runs hit by the Tigers during the game. Wenceel Pérez and Riley Greene also added to the scoreboard with their own homers, solidifying Detroit's offensive performance.
On the mound, Casey Mize (7-2) earned the win, allowing three runs—two of which were earned—across six innings. He recorded four strikeouts while maintaining control by not issuing any walks.
The Pirates initially took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Spencer Horwitz's single led to Adam Frazier's groundout scoring him. However, the Tigers quickly responded, with Pérez hitting a homer that brought in two runs in the bottom of the same inning.
In a back-and-forth contest, Alexander Canario's two-run single put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2 in the third inning. Canario stepped in for Bryan Reynolds, who left the game due to personal reasons as his wife went into labor. Yet, Báez tied the game with his fifth-inning homer.
Pérez then gave Detroit a 4-3 advantage with an RBI triple in the sixth. Báez followed up with another leadoff homer in the seventh, extending the lead. Greene capped off the inning with a powerful 436-foot home run to right field, bringing the score to 7-3.
Carmen Mlodzinski (1-5) struggled in relief for Pittsburgh, allowing four runs over just two innings of work.
After Pérez's homer in the third, the Tigers had runners on first and third with one out. However, Bailey Falter managed to get Parker Meadows to pop out and struck out Gleyber Torres to escape the inning unscathed.
Báez's achievement of reaching 10 years in MLB came during his 1,284th career game. His current stats include a .253 batting average, 190 home runs, 663 RBIs, and 111 stolen bases.
The teams are set to continue their series on Wednesday night, with Detroit's ace Tarik Skubal (7-2, 1.99 ERA) taking on LHP Andrew Heaney (3-5, 3.33).
