Liover Peguero hit a two-run homer and Johan Oviedo pitched seven strong innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates topped the visiting Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Tuesday in the first game of a two-game set.
Endy Rodriguez added an RBI triple and Josh Palacios had a sacrifice fly for the Pirates, who have won three in a row and five of their past seven.
Oviedo (5-11) picked up his 11th quality start. He gave up one run and six hits, with five strikeouts and two walks.
Angel Perdomo struck out one during a perfect eighth before David Bednar, who had been the subject of trade speculation before the trade deadline earlier Tuesday, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save.
Akil Baddoo had an RBI single for the Tigers, who have lost six of their last seven.
Detroit starter Matt Manning (3-3) allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings, with six strikeouts and no walks.
In the second, Connor Joe grounded a one-out single to center and scored on Rodriguez's triple to left for a 1-0 Pittsburgh lead. After Jared Triolo struck out, Peguero hit his third homer of the season, to left center, to make it 3-0.
Triolo hit a leadoff single to left in the fourth. Peguero popped out in foul territory. Alika Williams doubled on a ball to left that bounced into the stands, with Triolo obligated to stop at third. But Triolo came home on Palacios' sacrifice fly to left to increase the Pirates' lead to 4-0.
In the seventh, Javier Baez led off with a single to center and went to second on Miguel Cabrera's groundout. Baddoo singled to left to drive in Baez and spoil the shutout as the Tigers cut Pittsburgh's lead to 4-1.
However, Jake Rogers grounded into a double play to end the seventh and Detroit didn't tally another hit for the rest of the game. The Tigers went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left five on base.
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