Tigers defeat Pirates 8-5 in series opener behind McGonigle's power
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 18, 2026, 3:17 AM
Last updated Aug 18, 2026
The Detroit Tigers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5 on August 17 at PNC Park. Kevin McGonigle hit his 13th home run of the season, while Hao-Yu Lee reached base five times, aiding the Tigers' effort to maintain a tie for the final American League wild card position with Baltimore and Texas. Detroit surged to an 8-1 lead before the Pirates narrowed the margin with a four-run sixth inning. The win improves Detroit's record to 61-64 as the team looks to regain momentum after a recent loss to the Chicago White Sox.
- •McGonigle homers, extending his season total to 13.
- •Tigers lead by 4-0 after two innings.
- •Pittsburgh closed the gap to 8-5 in the sixth inning.
- •Framber Valdez earns the win, improving to 8-8.
- •Tigers now tied for the final AL wild card spot.
- 3:17 AMYahoo Sports — McGonigle, young Tigers lead Detroit past Pirates in series opener
"Kevin McGonigle’s power surge and a resilient rookie core propelled Detroit to a crucial victory, igniting a fierce three-way deadlock for the final American League wildcard spot.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
MLB•Aug 18, 2026, 3:53 AMThree Stars From Tigers’ 8-5 Win Over Pittsburgh- MLB•Aug 18, 2026, 3:11 AMJonny DeLuca's 2-run single completes Rays' rally for win over Orioles to avoid sweep
MLB•Aug 18, 2026, 2:55 AMPirates’ early deficit proves insurmountable in loss to Tigers
MLB•Aug 18, 2026, 2:35 AMInsane 20-0 Red Sox Stat Shows How Good Team Can Be at Any Given Moment
MLB•Aug 18, 2026, 2:35 AMKevin McGonigle homers to pace Tigers victory over Pirates
MLB•Aug 18, 2026, 2:31 AMMax Clark pulls through on field and at bat in Tigers’ win