Rick Porcello throws 7 sharp innings as Detroit Tigers beat Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1

Porcello leads Tigers past Pirates 3-1

PITTSBURGH — Rick Porcello threw seven crisp innings and had a pair of RBI singles for his first major league hits, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.

Placido Polanco went 4 for 4 for AL Central-leading Detroit, which has won six of eight. Porcello (7-4) allowed one run and six hits.

The Pirates and Tigers opened a weekend interleague series on the same night the Pittsburgh Penguins were playing the Red Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at Detroit. The crowd at PNC Park was announced at 18,369.

Porcello became the first Tigers pitcher with a multihit game since Jeff Weaver had two hits on June 23, 2002, against Florida. The 20-year-old rookie also was the first Detroit pitcher with more than one RBI in a game since Joe Coleman drove in three on Sept. 21, 1972, at Boston, the season before the designated hitter was adopted by the AL.

Porcello drove in Magglio Ordonez with a two-out single off Ian Snell (1-7) in the second inning. Ordonez led off with a base hit, stole second and moved to third on Ramon Santiago’s single.

Porcello struck again with two outs in the sixth. Snell intentionally walked Santiago to put runners on first and second before his counterpart pulled a pitch down the right-field line to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

Snell (1-7) gave up two runs and 10 hits in seven innings, dropping 0-5 with a 5.81 ERA in his last 10 starts. Pittsburgh has lost five of seven overall.

John Grabow replaced Snell and Brandon Inge hit his first pitch over the wall in left for his 14th homer, giving the Tigers a 3-1 lead.

Zach Miner pitched a scoreless eighth and Fernando Rodney got three outs for his 12th save. Adam LaRoche doubled with one out in the ninth but Rodney retired Andy LaRoche on a grounder to first and struck out Brandon Moss to end the game.

Freddy Sanchez hit an RBI double in the sixth for Pittsburgh’s only run.

NOTES: Tigers manager Jim Leyland put CF Curtis Granderson back in the leadoff spot and said he will remain there for the foreseeable future. Leyland had been experimenting with Granderson hitting in the No. 5 spot with left fielder Josh Anderson batting first. INF/OF Don Kelly, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, joined the Tigers on Friday and started in left. Kelly made his major league debut with the Pirates in 2007 and is a Pittsburgh native. Pirates RHP Tyler Yates underwent tests on his ailing right elbow that showed no structural damage. Yates has been on the disabled list since May 16 with elbow inflammation and had to cut short a simulated game Tuesday when he began experiencing pain in the elbow.