Tigers 5, Pirates 3: Javier Báez’s three-run homer was the difference

Tarik Skubal had an uncharacteristically sloppy outing, but hey it’s spring training.

The Detroit Tigers welcomed in the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, as the nation sleepily adapts to daylight savings time and a missing hour. Tarik Skubal got the start and wasn’t particularly sharp, but the Tigers got enough offense, including a three-run shot from Javier Báez, to take an early lead. The bullpen did the rest.

The reigning AL Cy Young winner looked good, but didn’t have his best day on the mound. Skubal’s command wasn’t as sharp as it usually is early on, and the Pirates lineup was able to foul off some good fastballs and get into some longer counts.

Skubal gave up a one-out walk and a single in the first, but shut things down from there. He racked up three quicker outs in the second inning as his velocity started ramping up into the high-90’s. However, he got into trouble in the third.

He punched out Enmanuel Valdez to start with, but Tommy Pham got a fastball up on the outer edge of the zone in a 2-1 count and lifted it the other way for a solo shot. Endy Rodriguez followed with a single, and after Nick Gonzales grounded out, Joey Bart singled in Rodriguez. Skubal struck out Billy Cook to end the inning, but it was 2-1 Pirates.

The Tigers got on the board against lefty Andrew Heaney in the bottom of the first when Jahmai Jones reached on a leadoff infield single and Andy Ibáñez slapped a ground ball single the opposite way. Gleyber Torres lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jones, but Riley Greene flew out and Spencer Torkelson grounded out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Kerry Carpenter singled with one out, but was cut down by Pham trying to take second. So it was still 2-1 PIttsburgh entering the bottom of the third when Jahmai Jones led off with a triple. Ibáñez lifted a fly ball deep enough to score him and tie the game. The Tigers then moved on to taking the lead.

Gleyber Torres drew a walk, and Riley Greene reached on a single that Pirates second baseman Liover Peguero couldn’t quite make a play on. The Pirates pulled Heaney and brought in right-hander Jarod Bayless. Torkelson flew out to left but not deep enough to score from third. No matter, as Javier Báez got a 1-0 sinker up in the zone and bombed it 440 feet at 106.6 mph off the bat for a three-run homer. 5-2 Tigers.

Skubal struck out Adam Frazier to open the third, wrapping up his outing on a positive note after some wildness early on. Tyler Holton took over and promptly walked Peguero and gave up a single to Bryce Johnson. Not an idea start for the lefty and it got worse when he walked Valdez as well. A Ji Hwan Bae ground out scored Peguero from third, but Holton got a ground ball to end the inning without further incident. 5-3 Tigers, and the score would stay there the rest of the game.

In the bottom of the fourth against Pirates lefty Caleb Ferguson, Trey Sweeney singled with one out. Jones flew out, but Ibáñez drove a ground rule double to left to put runners at second and third. Kevin McGonigle pinch ran for Ibáñez and would take over from Trey Sweeney at shortstop, while Torres flew out to end the inning.

Max Clark entered the game as well, taking over in center field for Jones in the top of the fifth. It was Will Vest’s inning of work, and the right-hander allowed Joey Bart’s third single of the game, but no more. Vest looked pretty sharp, sitting 95-96 mph and didn’t need to sweat much as he stranded Bart by freezing Billy Cook for strike three on a perfectly placed fourseamer down and away in the corner of the strike zone. Vest got Frazier to ground out, and we were on to the bottom of the fifth.

Riley Greene drew a leadoff walk against Ferguson and his day was done as Bligh Madris came in to pinch run for him. Torkelson flew out, but Báez spanked a sharp one hopper the opposite walk for a single. Josue Briceño pinch ran for Báez, but Kerry Carpenter struck out, and a scuffling Jake Rogers grounded into a force of Briceño at second to end the fifth.

It was substitution time at this point. John Brebbia took over from Vest while Hao-Yu Lee entered the game at third base, Roberto Campos took over in right field from Carpenter, and Tomas Nido took over from Rogers behind the plate. Justyn-Henry Malloy took over at first base.

Brebbia gave up a single in the inning, but struck out Bae to end a solid inning of work.

Hao-Yu Lee was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but Max Clark lined into a double play. Dennis Santana took over on the mound from Ferguson, and McGonigle flew out to left to end the inning.

Brebbia got into a little jam in the seventh, allowing a one-out single and then a two-out walk, but Chase Lee replaced him and struck out Matt Gorski to end the inning and keep the score at 5-3 Tigers. Ryan Miller spun a quick eighth for the Tigers.

Justin Lawrence took over on the mound for the Pirates in the bottom of the eighth. He struck out Briceño on a sweeper under his hands, while Campos and Riley Unroe grounded out to send this to the ninth.

Tyler Owens came on for the save, and he pretty easily racked up three ground ball outs to put this one to bed.

All in all, not a lot of standout performances in this one, and it wasn’t televised. The one positive is that Báez is moving better. Can’t get excited about one home run on a 90 mph sinker, but hopefully he can keep stacking good days at the plate and be more productive. Jahmai Jones and Andy Ibáñez each had a pair of hits as they continue to swing the bat well. Jones continues to get a lot of playing time in center field.

The Tigers travel to play the Yankees on Monday at 1:05 p.m. ET. Kenta Maeda will start for the Tigers, while RHP Will Warren gets the call for the Yankees. That one will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network.