The Detroit Tigers’ hopes of clinching a series win against the Pittsburgh Pirates vanished fast Tuesday night, as they dropped a quick 4-1 game that barely lasted two hours. After Monday’s narrow escape, the Tigers were looking for a smoother ride, but it just wasn’t in the cards.
Pitcher’s Duel? Not So Fast, My Friend
You know how sometimes a game just starts with that ‘classic pitchers’ duel’ vibe? Yeah, that was Tuesday night for a minute. Keider Montero was on the bump for the Tigers, and early on, he was dealing. Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the first, then again in the second. Another three-up, three-down for the Tigers in the third, and Montero kept the Pirates guessing, sending them right back to the dugout. It looked like we were in for a tight one, an old-fashioned grind. Finally, in the top of the fourth, Kevin McGonigle broke the silence with a one-out single. Colt Keith followed right up with another single! Momentum, right? Nope. Eduardo Valencia hit into a double play, and that was that. Ugh.
Rookie’s Glory, Then The Bottom Fell Out
But then the fifth inning hit, and oh boy. Rookie Brett Callahan was having himself a week, and he just wasn’t gonna let anyone steal his thunder. With a bomb to the stands, Callahan absolutely crushed his first ever MLB home run! That’s gotta feel good for the kid, putting the Tigers on the board. You just knew the Pirates weren’t gonna take that lying down. Esmerlyn Valdez walked, breaking Montero’s twelve-outs-in-a-row streak. Then, the guy who just came off the IL yesterday, Oneil Cruz, decided to remind everyone he was back, launching a two-run homer that flipped the script and put the Pirates in the lead. Montero looked rattled. Jake Mangum singled, Rafael Flores Jr. ripped a ground-rule double, and suddenly, two runners were in scoring position with only one out. The Tigers got a HUGE break though: Mangum tried to score, looked safe, but a challenge showed he missed home plate entirely. Ruled out! Seriously, how do you miss home plate? Jared Triolo was safe at first. Spencer Horowitz then singled, bringing in *another* run for the Pirates. Montero finally got the third out, but the ‘pitchers’ duel’ was officially dead and buried. Just like that, three runs for the Pirates.
The Fielding Fumble and Montero’s Early Exit
The sixth inning wasn’t much better. Gleyber Torres reached on a fielding error at first, the ball just kinda sailing over Horowitz’s glove. Luckily, two quick outs followed, so the Tigers couldn’t make anything happen there. But for Montero? That was it. He was done, pulled from the game.
So, no series clinch, no smooth sailing. Just a quick 4-1 loss and a quiet night after a rookie’s shining moment got completely overshadowed. Gotta bounce back, right? You always gotta bounce back.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bless You Boys.
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