Saltalamacchia slams Pirates

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a grand slam for his 100th career home run, Shane Greene pitched six strong innings in his first start since undergoing shoulder surgery last August, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Pirates 7-3 Wednesday night.

Saltalamacchia connected off Arquimedes Caminero (0-2) with two outs in the sixth inning, hitting a drive into the right-field bleachers that enabled the Tigers to erase a 2-1 deficit. Detroit loaded the bases on a double by Miguel Cabrera, a walk to J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos’ single.

It was the second home run of the season for Saltalamacchia, a 10-year veteran who has taken over as the Tigers’ primary catcher after James McCann was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a sprained right ankle.

Greene (1-0) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings in his first start of the season, which was delayed after the Tigers were rained out Sunday night against the New York Yankees. He struck out seven and walked three in helping Detroit win for the fifth time in seven games to start the season.

Greene recorded a save last Wednesday at Miami in his first regular-season appearance since having surgery to repair a damaged artery.

Ian Kinsler hit a solo home run, his third, and drove in two runs for the Tigers, while J.D. Martinez and Anthony Gose each had two of Detroit’s 10 hits. Martinez extended his season-opening hitting streak to seven games and raised his batting average to .448.

The Pirates lost for the fourth time in five games since starting the season with four wins.

Ryan Vogelsong made a spot start for the Pirates in place of left-hander Francisco Liriano, who has a strained right hamstring, and gave up only one run and four hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks.

It marked the first time Vogelsong faced the Tigers since Game 3 of the 2012 World Series when he pitched 52/3 scoreless innings for the San Francisco Giants in a win at Detroit. The Giants swept the series in four games.

The only run off Vogelsong came on Kinsler’ leadoff home run in the fourth inning, a drive to straightaway center field that drew the Tigers within 2-1.

The Pirates got both their runs off Greene in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk to Francisco Cervelli and a fielder’s choice grounder by Gregory Polanco. Andrew McCutchen’s RBI double in the eighth got Pittsburgh to 5-3.

The Tigers extended their lead to four runs with a two-run ninth as Kinsler hit a sacrifice fly and Martinez hit an RBI single off the glove of leaping second baseman Josh Harrison.