Braxton Ashcraft allowed five hits over eight efficient innings, Oneil Cruz homered in his return from the injured list, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
Ashcraft (13-5), a first-time All-Star this season, struck out four and didn’t issue a walk while throwing just 80 pitches. The 26-year-old right-hander, coming off the first complete game of his career in a win over Miami last week, gave up a fifth-inning homer to Tigers rookie Brett Callahan but otherwise cruised to his fourth win in five starts.<\/p>\n
Ashcraft became the first Pittsburgh pitcher since A.J. Burnett in 2012 to record a complete game and then work at least eight innings in his next start.<\/p>\n
Mason Montgomery worked the ninth for his fifth save.<\/p>\n
Cruz, out since early June after breaking his left hand, turned on a 2-2 knuckle curve from Keider Montero (9-8) in the fifth inning and sent it 422 feet to right-center<\/a> for his 15th homer of the season and his first since June 2. It was Pittsburgh’s 81st homer at PNC Park, tying the 2003 team for the most in a season at the ballpark that opened in 2001.<\/p>\n Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds added RBI singles for the Pirates, who have won four of six.<\/p>\n Detroit, in a tight race with a handful of clubs for the final AL wild-card spot, has lost four of five.<\/p>\n Montero was perfect through four innings but walked Esmeryln Valez on four pitches leading off the fifth before Cruz’s homer. Montero surrendered three runs on four hits in five innings.<\/p>\n The series concludes on Wednesday. Struggling ace Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.88 ERA), working on a week’s rest, starts for Pittsburgh against Detroit’s Jackson Jobe (1-1, 6.23).<\/p>\n