Pirates plunder Tigers

Baseball Betting Lines

07/02/2006 - Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit committed four errors in a game for the first time since July 21, 2005, three of which helped the Pirates blow a tie game open with a seven-run seventh frame in a 9-2 victory at PNC Park.

Jose Bautista ended 3-for-5 with a run batted in and run scored, Sean Casey finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI and both Jeromy Burnitz and Ronny Paulino knocked in two runs for the Pirates, who won for the second time in three games after a 13-game losing streak.

Matt Capps (3-1) picked up the victory in the middle contest of the three-game interleague set, tossing two scoreless frames while allowing two hits with one strikeout. Capps replaced Tom Gorzelanny, the prized pitching prospect who gave up two runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts in five frames.

Marcus Thames and Ivan Rodriguez had two hits apiece for the Tigers, who saw a seven-game winning streak come to an end. Jason Grilli (0-1) was saddled with the loss after surrendering two runs -- one earned -- on three hits with a pair of strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.

Jeremy Bonderman started for Detroit and gave up two runs on seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts in five innings.

Pittsburgh put up a crooked number in the seventh frame to blow the game wide open. Nate McLouth singled to center then Bautista singled to left to begin the seven-run seventh. After Jack Wilson struck out, Casey lined a run-scoring single to center.

Jason Bay then hit a sharp groundball to third, but Brandon Inge's throw home handcuffed Rodriguez, allowing Bautista to score without the Tigers recording an out. Freddy Sanchez then reached on an error by Chris Shelton to load the bases for Burnitz, who reached on Placido Polanco's error as Casey and Bay crossed the plate.

The Tigers' fielding problems came back to bite them, as Jose Castillo drilled a double into the gap in right-center field, allowing Sanchez to score for a 7-2 lead.

Ronny Paulino followed with a two-run single to left, giving Pittsburgh a 9-2 edge, capping the scoring.

Detroit took an early lead in the top of the second frame. Carlos Guillen worked a full count then walked, Thames singled to left and Shelton drove in the shortstop with a base hit off the end of the bat into right field.

The Pirates tied the game in the home half of the third as Paulino singled and moved up to second on Gorzelanny's sacrifice bunt. The fleet-footed catcher then sprinted around third on Bautista's single and slid just in front of Rodriguez's tag to square the contest at 1-1.

Pittsburgh claimed a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of fourth when Burnitz knocked in Casey with a single to center.

Singles by Polanco and Magglio Ordonez put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the fifth, and the Tigers tied the game on Guillen's sacrifice fly to left field.

Game Notes

Sanchez's 13-game hitting streak came to an end...Detroit is 14-3 in interleague play while the Pirates are 2-11 versus the American League...Zach Miner gets the ball for Detroit on Sunday against Ian Snell for the Pirates.