After a rough road in Minnesota the Tigers were looking forward to coming home for some home cooking as they would start a short two-game interleague against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  However, it looked like the Pirates were more excited to come to “Motown “than the Tigers were.   

In game one the Tigers would send one of the best strikeout pitchers in the game this year, Matthew Boyd.  Boyd would get through the first inning unscathed.  However, in the second the Pittsburgh offense would get a run on the board against Boyd.  The Pirates left fielder Pablo Rayes would hit a single past Miguel Cabrera, which scored Melky Cabrera giving Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.  

Three innings later the Pirates would strike again.  This time their third baseman Jung Ho Kang would hit a 2-run homer to left center field.  It would be his second homerun of the season and it would give the Pirates a three-run lead.  (3-0) 

In the bottom half of the inning the Tigers would have some luck on their side.  A pass ball would squirt by the Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli.  Miguel Cabrera would score from third on the play, getting Detroit on the board making the game 3-1 Pittsburgh.  A few pitches later Christin Stewart would hit an RBI double to right field, Niko Goodrum would score from second, making the game 3-2 Pirates. 

The score would remain that way until the bottom of the 9th inning.  In the Tigers half of the 9th their third baseman Jeimer Candelario would hit a jam-shot RBI single over the second baseman’s head.  Dustin Peterson would score from third on the play tying the game up at three a piece. (3-3) 

However, the Pirates would break that tie in the top of the 10th inning.  In their half of the 10th Starling Marte would hit a two-run bomb to center field to give the Pirates a 5-3 lead and a win by that score.  

In game two of the series, Pittsburgh would strike first again.  This time they would do their damage in the top of the 4th inning.  Their third baseman Jung Ho Kang would reach base on a fielding error by the Tiger’s shortstop Ronny Rodriguez.  Right fielder Melky Cabrera would score on the play, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead. 

With the game tied at one, Tiger catcher John Hicks would step up to the plate.  Hicks would hit a little floater to left field that would drop for a base hit.   Christin Stewart would score from second base on the play, and the Tigers would take a 2-1 lead.  

However, the Tiger lead would not last for long.  In the top of the 8th inning, with the bases loaded, Josh Bell would step up to the plate.  Bell would hit a towering sacrifice-fly ball to left field.  J.B. Shuck would tag-up and score from third base, which would tie the game up a two.  (2-2) 

The game would move into extra innings, but the extras would not last long for the Tigers.  In the top of the 10th inning Pirate’s first baseman Colin Moran would hit a ground ball RBI single to center, Adam Frazier would score on the play giving Pittsburgh the late lead.  (3-2) 

Pittsburgh would get the win by that 3-2 score and sweep Detroit in the short two game inter-league set. 

In the second series of the Tigers home stand the Chicago White Sox would come into town for a four-game set.  This time Detroit would get the scoring started in the bottom of the 2nd inning.  Tiger catcher Grayson Greiner would hit an RBI double into left field to give Detroit the early 1-0 lead.  In the bottom of the 4th Grayson Greiner would be at the dish again.  This time he would get an RBI single to right field, and Gordon Beckham would score on the play, extending the Tiger’s lead to two (2-0).  

In the top of the 5th inning it would be the White Sox chance to get on the board.  Their second baseman Yolmer Sanchez would hit a grounder through the left side for and RBI single cutting the Tiger’s lead down to one.  

An inning later in the top of the 6th the White Sox would finally get the lead that they were looking for.  Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenz would hit a 2-run-homerun over the right center field wall giving the Sox a 3-2 lead.  In that same inning the Sox would get another run.  This time it would come by a fielding error from Tiger shortstop Gordon Beckham.  The Sox would take a 4-2 lead.  

In the top of the 7th inning with the game all tied up at four, Sox right fielder Ryan Cordell would step up to the plate.  Cordell would smack a line-drive homer out-to the center field bushes.  Chicago would take the lead again 5-4.  In the bottom half of the inning the Tigers would tie the game again and eventually take the lead.  Detroit would tie the game at five on a Nicholas Castellanos double to left, and then the Tigers would take the 6-5 lead on a Miguel Cabrera groundball single to center field. 

In the top of the 7th inning with the game tied at seven, Nicholas Castellanos would come to the plate again for the Tigers.  Castellanos would hit a sacrifice fly to the center fielder Leury Garcia, JaCoby Jones would score getting the Tiger lead back 8-7.   

The game would end in a 9-7 Tiger win.  Giving Detroit their first win since May the 10th.  

In game 2 of the series it would be the White Sox that would get the first tally of the game.  In the top of the 1st inning their “young stud”  Yoan Moncada would hit his 6th homerun of the year to center field giving the Sox a 1-0 lead.  In the bottom of the 3rd the Tigers would hit a homerun of their own.  It would come from their struggling veteran second baseman Josh Harrison.  Harrison would also homer to center field tying the game up at one. (1-1) 

In the top of the 5th the Sox would get some help from the Tigers for their second run of the game.  Tiger’s starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann would walk Yoan Moncada with the bases loaded giving the White Sox a 2-1 lead.  

In the 7th inning it would be all Chicago.  To start the inning shortstop Leury Garca would hit a 2-run RBI single to left.  Ryan Cordell and Yomer Sanchez score making the game 4-1 Sox.  Two batters later Jose Abreu would double to left field, Leury Garcia and Yoan Moncada would score extending the Sox lead 6-1.  

One batter later designated hitter Yonder Alonso singles on a groundball to left field.  Jose Abreu would score on the play which would open the door for Chicago.  The Sox would take a 7-1 lead.  

Detroit would try to make a comeback with two solo-homeruns in the 7th and 9th innings from catcher Grayson Greiner and first baseman Niko Goodrum.  The ball game would end in a White Sox win by the score of 7-3. 

(Game three of the series would be canceled due to rain and will be made up on August the 6th in Detroit.)     

In game four of the four game weekend series, the Tigers would be the ones to get the scoring started.  In the bottom of the 2nd inning rookie Brando Dixon would hit a sinking RBI single over Yoan Moncada’s head to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.  Three innings later Detroit would tack on another run, this time it would come from the veteran Miguel Cabrera.  Cabrera would single on a ground ball to left field, Nicholas Castellanos would score, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.  

In the bottom of the 6th inning Detroit would be at it again.  In the 6th Niko Goodrum would hit his 8th double of the season.  That double would bring in Nicholas Castellanos from second base extending the Tiger’s lead to three (3-0).  An inning later in the bottom of the 7th, Gordon Beckham would launch his third homerun of the season and give Detroit another insurance run (4-0). 

However, in the top of the 8th inning Chicago would try to mount a comeback.  In the 8th inning the Sox offense would put up three runs against Tiger pitching.  The first run for the Sox would come on a Leury Garcia RBI single to right field.  The second run would come on a wild pitch from Tiger reliver Victor Alcantara.  The third Sox run of the inning would come off Tim Anderson’s bat.  Anderson would hit an RBI single into right field.  The White Sox would put up three runs in that inning, cutting Detroit’s lead down to one (4-3).  

However, those three runs would not be enough for the “south siders” in this game.  In the end Detroit would come away with the victory 4-3, and would take the shorten 3 game series win.  

The Tigers will move on to Boston to take on the Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 22nd to start a nine–game road trip.