Pirates 6, Tigers 1: Debut spoiled, series swept

A highly-anticipated major-league debut didn’t go quite as we’d hoped, and the sweep was completed.

The Detroit Tigers tried to salvage the finale of a three-game weekday series on Wednesday afternoon in Pittsburgh. They were unsuccessful at doing so, dropping a disappointing contest by a 6-1 score.

Making his major-league debut for the Tigers today was Troy Melton. He was great in 2023 in Lakeland and West Michigan; his 2024 season at Erie wasn’t so hot by the numbers, but this year, split between Erie and Toledo, he’s been much improved, especially lately. Something he’s always been able to do is strike people out, though: last year he had 10.6 K/9 innings; this year at Erie it was 10.4, and in 36 ⅓ innings in Toledo that jumped up to a whopping 13.9, with very few walks. Lots of people have been wanting to see this guy amongst the tall buildings; well, here ya go.

Bailey Falter started for the Pirates. The lefty is in his second full season in Pittsburgh, and his numbers don’t look that impressive: 5.4 K/9 innings this year, 3.1 BB/9 as well. But pitching at PNC Park with its spacious outfield helps out this flyball pitcher; at home he’s allowing a .664 OPS against, but on the road that balloons to .823. Today Falter pitched in… [checks notes]… Pittsburgh. Shoot.

Andrew McCutcheon didn’t care how big the outfield was in the bottom of the first inning, turning Melton’s fifth big-league pitch around and depositing it into the stands in centre. This was after a 101.4-mph lineout by Spencer Horwitz to start the game; hard contact featured prominently in the early-goings. But hey, here’s his first big-league strikeout.

Melton got into more trouble in the second: a single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out. But then Isiah Kiner-Falefa struck out and you think, well, you know, maybe he can get out of thi— nope, Horwitz bashed a grand slam to centre for a 5-0 lead. The next inning saw a leadoff double and a pair of long fly balls push the score to 6-0.

Meanwhile, Falter sawed through the Tigers’ lineup the first time through like a hungry wolverine at an all-you-can-eat buffet. With two outs in the fourth, Wenceel Pérez broke the spell with a single to left, but Spencer Torkelson fouled-out to first and that was that. Falter’s pitch count stayed low so, uncharacteristically for him, he was going to go deep into this game.

To his credit, Melton settled down over the next couple of innings, getting more swing-and-miss on his four-seamer and slider. In the bottom of the fifth there were runners on second and third with two outs, but Melton struck out Tommy Pham swinging on a slider at the knees. Melton’s final line in his debut sure doesn’t look good — 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R — but after a rough start with a lot of hard contact he dialed things in a bit and ended on a high note. And hey, he struck out seven, which is nice for a debut.

Chase Lee entered the game in the sixth and he struck out the side. He continued on into the seventh and got a lineout and a pair of groundouts. Man, if he can remain a solid piece in this bullpen, that would help a lot.

The Tigers got on the board in the top of the seventh: with one out Torkelson doubled, and he scored on a Matt Vierling single.

Could the Tigers get a big inning going? Alas, they couldn’t, as a groundout and a strikeout ended the proceedings. That would end up being all the scoring the game would see.

Carlos Hernández came in for the eighth because if you’re down by five runs, why not? Sometimes it kinda works, though: he gave up a two-out single to Pham but was otherwise fine, mixing in his knuckle curve more than usual.

The Tigers ended up meekly flailing at things in the ninth inning and the game was mercifully over. They come home for a four-game weekend series against the white-hot Blue Jays. What could go wrong?

Final Score: Pirates 6, Tigers 1

That’s odd, and uncommon

Notes and Notions

• Kerry Carpenter is apparently running at 100% and will be starting a rehab assignment soon in Toledo.
• Dan Dickerson: “If you missed last night’s game, first of all, be glad. It was just one of those games. As Ernie Harwell used to put it, ‘What we’re watching here tonight isn’t going to replace the game of baseball as we know it anytime soon.’”
• If you’re bummed about the Tigers lately, well, the Dodgers had lost 11 of 14 coming into today’s contest.
• On this day in 1921, Calvert DeForest was born. Now, that name may ring a bell, but you may know him better by the name Larry “Bud” Melman. As either Melman or DeForest, he would often appear on David Letterman’s late-night show as a bizarre character doing a bit in the studio or, especially in older episodes, a “man on the street” type of reporter. Lest you think DeForest was blessed with solid acting chops, I can assure you, he was not. Here he is tearing down the Berlin Wall, sort-of.