Tigers slam four HRs in first inning, knock off Pirates

The Detroit Tigers blasted five homers, including four in their first five at-bats, as they powered past the host Pittsburgh Pirates 11-5 on Saturday.

Aug 8, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher John Ryan Murphy (18) warms up before playing the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Niko Goodrum, Miguel Cabrera, C.J. Cron and Jeimer Candelario homered off Pittsburgh left-hander Derek Holland during the Tigers’ five-run first inning. JaCoby Jones also homered for Detroit, which has scored 28 runs during the first two games of the series.

Cabrera finished with three hits and three RBIs, Jonathan Schoop supplied three hits, three runs scored and an RBI, while Cron added two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. Candelario had his second straight three-hit game.

The Tigers hit four home runs in an inning for the first time since the fourth inning on June 1, 2013 at Baltimore. It was the first time in franchise history they blasted four homers before making an out.

Kevin Newman led the Pirates’ attack with four hits and two RBIs, and Jarrod Dyson chipped in two hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Pittsburgh has lost nine of its last 10 games.

Former Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova (1-0) struggled through five innings, giving up five runs on six hits, but still got the win. Holland (0-1) surrendered nine runs on 13 hits in five innings and served up all five Detroit homers.

Pirates first baseman Phillip Evans left the game in the sixth after he collided with right fielder Gregory Polanco. Evans took an elbow to the face and was removed on a stretcher.

Travis Demeritte’s RBI single in the second gave Detroit a 6-0 lead. The Pirates then chipped away, scoring two runs in the third and three in the fourth.

Newman had an RBI double and a run-scoring single during those innings.

The Tigers responded with four runs in the sixth. Jones homered to lead off the inning. Schoop doubled in a run and scored on the play that forced Evans from the game, which was recorded as a two-base sacrifice fly for Cabrera. Grayson Greiner drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning.

Cron’s RBI double in the seventh made it 11-5.

—Field Level Media

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source: reuters.com