Tigers beat Pirates, snap five-game skid

Photo by: Keith Srakocic

AP

Photo

A Detroit Tigers' Max Scherzer pitch goes closely by Pittsburgh Pirates' Kevin Correia in the fifth inning of the interleague baseball game on Saturday, May 21, 2011, in Pittsburgh. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle argued unsuccesssfully with home plate umpire Chris Guccione after nothing was called but the Pirates won 6-2.

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

The Detroit Tigers still aren’t scoring much. For one afternoon, Rick Porcello made sure it didn’t matter.

The 22-year-old right-hander shut down the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, allowing just one hit over eight innings as the Tigers ended a five-game losing streak with a 2-0 win.

“He kept the ball on the ground pretty good,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. “He was pounding the strike zone pretty good. He was fantastic. No question about it, he was fantastic.”

Porcello (4-2) took a no-hitter into the sixth before giving up Ronny Cedeno’s leadoff double. He struck out three and walked two in his first start in nearly two weeks.

Despite cruising through eight innings on 84 pitches, Porcello was replaced in the ninth by closer Jose Valverde. The move nearly backfired before Valverde worked out of a two-on, none-out jam to earn his 11th save in as many chances.

“I know it’s worth a second guess for everybody in America, but to me, it was a no-brainer,” Leyland said. “Unless a guy is absolutely lights out, your closer is supposed to be better than your starting pitcher who has just pitched eight innings on a pretty hot day.”

Porcello wasn’t complaining. And he wasn’t lamenting the loss of a shot at the first shutout of his career, though he did plead his case to Leyland to stay in the game.

“I was telling him I was good to go and he said, ‘No you’re not,’ and that was that,” Porcello said. “It’s a losing battle. ... I understand it, though. We needed that win bad. [Valverde] is ready to go and that’s why he’s there, to close out tight games.”

Paul Maholm (1-7) gave up two runs in 51/3 innings but was again undone by a lack of run support as Pittsburgh failed to get back to the .500 mark.

“You can say I’m pitching good enough to lose, that’s kind of how it’s going,” Maholm said. “Hopefully it turns around soon.”

Porcello’s previous start was wiped out by rain, but he hardly looked rusty. He kept the surging Pirates off balance all afternoon and even added a single during a rare plate appearance.