PITTSBURGH — Zack Short tied a career-high with three RBIs, powering the Detroit Tigers to a split of a two-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 6-3 victory on Wednesday.
Pinch-hitting for Akil Baddoo, Short capped a three-run fourth inning with a two-run single off Ryan Borucki to left that extended the Tigers' lead to 4-1. His two-out RBI double, down the left-field line past a diving Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base, made it 5-2 in the sixth.
“That’s what (Tigers manager A.J. Hinch) has been doing all year,” Short said. “He always says we can win the game early in the game with pinch-hitters, or late. So you have to be ready from the get-go.”
Short drove in three runs twice before this season, against the Kansas City Royals on May 24 and June 21. He also had three RBIs against the Texas Rangers on July 5, 2021.
Eduardo Rodriguez (7-7) gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out five in six innings for Detroit, which had lost six of seven. Rodriguez used his no-trade clause to veto a deal that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.
“The details of the trade weren't what I wanted for me and my family, and I decided to stay in Detroit,” Rodriguez said. “It's nothing against the Dodgers. They have a really good team over there. Just thinking about my future and my family.”
Jake Rogers led off the eighth with a pinch-hit homer off Yerry De Los Santos.
Alex Lange walked in a run with two outs in the ninth, cutting it to 6-3. Tyler Holton came in to strike out Hayes looking with the bases loaded, picking up his first save in the majors.
“I haven’t even looked at it yet. It was a ball,” Hayes said. “It’s baseball. It happens. ... Just unfortunate that it was called, but it happens and just got to keep going.”
The Pirates had won three straight and four of five.
“We did a good job,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “We brought the winning run to the plate and they played the full nine innings. I trust Key there.”
Osvaldo Bido (2-2), who allowed four runs on three hits, started the fourth by walking Kerry Carpenter and hitting Matt Vierling. The Pittsburgh starter was then chased from the game by Javier Báez's RBI single into left that put Detroit ahead 2-1 before Borucki entered.
Andrew McCutchen cut the deficit to 4-2 with a two-out bloop single into right in the fifth.
Riley Greene gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the first, sending a changeup from Bido 395 feet to right-center for his ninth home run of the season, before Bryan Reynolds tied it on a sacrifice fly from Hayes in the bottom half.
Connor Joe nearly put Pittsburgh ahead with a two-out double in the second. Baddoo spun in left field to find Báez, whose relay home beat Jason Delay.
“It was a play we needed to execute," Hinch said. "They challenged us with two outs. It was an aggressive send.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Hayes returned to the lineup, batting fifth, after missing 19 games with low back inflammation. … INF Tucupita Marcano will require ACL surgery in his right knee, confirmed Pittsburgh director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. Marcano was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 25, one day after being injured in San Diego.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Reese Olson (1-4, 4.71) will take the mound Friday to start a three-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (9-7, 3.97) will start Thursday in the first of a four-game series in Milwaukee. Pittsburgh’s ace is 0-4 in his past five starts, allowing 21 runs in 28 2/3 innings.