The Pittsburgh Pirates walked out of Comerica Park with a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, September 27, 2026, handing the home side a frustrating defeat in front of the Detroit faithful. Konnor Griffin supplied the punch Pittsburgh needed with a homer and two RBI, while a Pirates bullpen that combined for six strikeouts over the final five innings made sure the Tigers' late push came up short. Detroit got solo shots from Kevin McGonigle and Eduardo Valencia, but two runs were never going to be enough against a Pittsburgh pitching staff that locked things down when it mattered.

Pirates Pitching Shuts Down Tigers Offense

Jared Jones set the tone early, working four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five without issuing a walk. That kind of efficiency put Detroit in a hole it never fully climbed out of. Jones handed the ball to Antwone Kelly, who ran into trouble in 2.1 innings — surrendering both Tigers runs on two hits — but Pittsburgh's late-inning relief corps slammed the door shut.

Lake Bachar was the difference-maker. He pitched 1.2 innings of no-hit baseball with four strikeouts, earning the win. Mason Montgomery followed with a clean ninth — two strikeouts, no hits, no runs — to nail down the save. When Pittsburgh's bullpen is dealing like that, two runs is a tough number to defend against no matter how the offense strings things together.

McGonigle and Valencia Provide Detroit's Only Offense

The Tigers' offense was largely held in check, but two players made their swings count. Kevin McGonigle went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an RBI — one of the brighter individual performances in an otherwise quiet night at the plate. Eduardo Valencia also went deep in four at-bats, providing Detroit's other run. That was it. The rest of the lineup couldn't generate enough against Jones and a Pittsburgh bullpen that grew increasingly stingy as the game wore on.

Detroit's Pitching Situation: A Tale of Two Halves

Detroit's pitching performance was uneven. River Ryan, who took the loss, was pulled after just 1.1 innings — allowing three hits, two earned runs, and two walks while striking out three. It was a rough outing that put the Tigers behind early. Beau Brieske followed with 2.2 innings, punching out three but also allowing three hits and two earned runs. The bullpen steadied from there.

Jack Flaherty gave Detroit two solid innings — one hit, no runs, one strikeout — and Ty Madden was outstanding out of the pen, tossing three perfect innings with three strikeouts and no hits or walks allowed. That effort from Madden and Flaherty kept the game within reach, but by then the deficit was already set.

Turning Point: Griffin's Home Run Tips the Scales

Konnor Griffin's home run was the decisive blow. The Pittsburgh outfielder went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and his long ball represented the kind of extra-base damage the Tigers' early pitching couldn't absorb. Nick Gonzales added two hits, and Jake Mangum drove in a run on two hits, giving Pittsburgh a balanced attack that didn't need to rely on any single contributor. The Pirates had production up and down the lineup; the Tigers did not.

What's Next for the Tigers

  • Detroit will need to address the early-inning vulnerability exposed by River Ryan's abbreviated start — 1.1 innings and two earned runs is a costly hole to dig out of.
  • The back-end relief work from Ty Madden (3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H) and Jack Flaherty (2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H) offers some genuine optimism, but those arms can't consistently bail out rocky starts.
  • Offensively, the home run ball from McGonigle and Valencia kept things respectable, but Detroit needs to find ways to generate runs beyond the solo shot.
  • The Tigers will look to bounce back and avoid letting this loss carry into their next series.