The Pittsburgh Pirates handed the Detroit Tigers a 5-3 loss at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on Saturday in spring training play. Despite Austin Slater's 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI effort at the plate, the Tigers could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Casey Mize turned in a solid outing, working 3.1 innings of 2-run ball with one strikeout. The Pirates out-hit the Tigers 9-6 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Tigers continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Austin Slater was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI. His extra-base hit was a key moment in the game. The Tigers will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Kerry Carpenter also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a triple, Eduardo Valencia chipped in, going 1-for-1, and Colt Keith added to the attack, going 1-for-3. The Tigers showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Esmerlyn Valdez led the Pirates offense with a 1-for-2 with an RBI day. Yordany De Los Santos also contributed, going 1-for-1 with an RBI. Termarr Johnson added a 1-for-2 with an RBI effort as well. The Pirates offense proved to be too much for the Tigers pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Casey Mize got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.1 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits with one strikeout. He threw 59 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 5.2 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out seven. The Tigers continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Thomas Harrington recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Tyler Holton stood out with 1.1 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Pirates got on the board first with three runs in the second inning. The Tigers struck back with three runs in the third. Pirates answered with a run in the sixth. Pirates tacked on a run in the eighth. The Pirates were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Pirates out-hit the Tigers 9-6, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,937 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Tigers will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.
