Tigers' Turnbull dominant in start vs. Pirates

Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull toyed with Pittsburgh Pirates hitters and allowed just one run in seven innings to pace his squad to a win and cap off a series sweep.

Turnbull also allowed just five hits and had four strikeouts in the 2-1 victory Sunday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Miguel Cabrera and Austin Romine plated the Tigers' two runs in the triumph.

"When you get a guy [Turnbull] that has the action that he does away from you and you do that, then you're going to get a lot of ground-ball outs," Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters.

"That's what he did. He kept us off-balance and kept us on the ground. We had a couple opportunities to score and just didn't get the big hit."

The game was scoreless through 3 1/2 innings before the Pirates took a 1-0 edge. Turnbull hit Colin Moran with a pitch to lead off the half inning. He retired the next two batters he faced before Erik Gonzalez ripped a single up the middle to plate Moran for a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers answered in the top of the fifth inning. Victor Reyes doubled in the second at-bat of the frame before Romine settled in against Pirates relief pitcher Chris Stratton.

Romine took two balls and a strike before he ripped a 2-1 slider to center field to tie the score at 1-1.

Detroit took the final one-run advantage in the eighth inning. Pirates reliever Richard Rodriguez retired the first two hitters he faced in the top of the frame. He then hit Jonathan Schoop with a pitch to put the go-ahead run on base. Rodriguez then threw a wild pitch in an exchange with Cabrera, which moved Schoop to second base.

Cabrera proceeded to knock a ground ball to left field to plate Schoop for the final advantage.

Relief pitchers Buck Farmer and Joe Jimenez shut out the Pirates over the final two innings to secure the victory. Jimenez earned his fifth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning, which featured two strikeouts.

Romine went 2 for 4 with an RBI in the win. Cabrera went 1 for 4 with an RBI. Gonzalez and Adam Frazier had two hits apiece for the Pirates.

The Tigers host the Chicago White Sox at 7:10 p.m. EDT Monday at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Pirates were scheduled to face the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, but that series has been postponed after due to a coronavirus outbreak among Cardinals players.

At least 10 Cardinals players and seven staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.

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