In a home game at PNC Park on Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates secured a 4‑1 win over the Detroit Tigers, a result that bolsters the club’s recent surge.
Ashcraft’s dominant outing
Right‑hander Braxton Ashcraft (13‑5) delivered an efficient performance, allowing just five hits over eight innings and striking out four batters. He did not issue a walk and stayed within an 80‑pitch limit. The 26‑year‑old, a first‑time All‑Star this season, followed his first career complete game a week earlier with another strong start.
Ashcraft became the first Pirates pitcher since A.J. Burnett in 2012 to record a complete game and then work at least eight innings in his next start. He surrendered a fifth‑inning home run to Tigers rookie Brett Callahan but otherwise kept Detroit’s offense at bay.
Cruz returns with a long ball
Oneil Cruz, returning from the injured list after breaking his left hand in early June, made an immediate impact. In the fifth inning, he turned on a 2‑2 knuckle curve from Detroit starter Keider Montero and sent the ball 422 feet to right‑center field for his 15th home run of the season and his first since June 2.
The blast marked the Pirates’ 81st home run at PNC Park, tying the 2003 team for the most in a single season at the ballpark, which opened in 2001.
Supporting offense and bullpen work
Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds added RBI singles, contributing to the Pirates’ four runs. Reliever Mason Montgomery closed the game, earning his fifth save of the season.
Detroit, still fighting for a wild‑card spot in the American League, fell to a 4‑1 record in its last five games, dropping four of those contests.
Detroit’s pitching struggles
Detroit starter Keider Montero was perfect through four innings but walked Esmeryln Valez on four pitches to start the fifth inning before Cruz’s homer. Montero allowed three runs on four hits over five innings before exiting the game.
The loss adds pressure to Detroit’s pursuit of a postseason berth as the AL wild‑card race tightens.
Looking ahead
With Ashcraft’s recent success and Cruz’s return to the lineup, the Pirates aim to continue their winning momentum as the season progresses. Detroit will look to rebound quickly, hoping to secure the remaining wild‑card positions in the coming weeks.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
