Freddy Sanchez hits grand slam, Pirates rout Tigers 9-3

Sanchez hits grand slam, Pirates beat Tigers 9-3

PITTSBURGH — Freddy Sanchez hit a grand slam and Adam LaRoche added a solo home run as the Pittsburgh Pirates used a rare power surge to defeat the Detroit Tigers 9-3 Saturday night.

Zach Duke (7-4) won for the fourth time in his past five decisions. He gave up three runs in eight innings and overcame solo homers by Marcus Thames and Ryan Raburn.

Sanchez hit his second career slam in the fourth inning to give the Pirates an 8-2 lead. LaRoche homered in the second when the Pirates scored four times off Armando Galarraga (3-7).

The Pirates’ 36 home runs are second fewest in the majors. It was the first time since May 25 that they had a multihomer game and only the eighth instance in 62 games this season.

Sanchez’s grand slam was his fifth homer of the season. LaRoche, the Pirates cleanup hitter, hit his eighth homer, but his first since May 21.

The Pirates finished with 16 hits and every starter had at least one. Jack Wilson and LaRoche each had three hits and Andrew McCutchen drove in two runs.

Duke has pitched at least six innings in all but one of his 13 starts this year.

After giving up a one-out homer to Raburn in the fifth, Duke settled down and retired his final 11 batters. He struck out three and walked one.

Galarraga, winless in his past nine starts, allowed four runs and eight hits in two-plus innings. He was lifted after giving up back-to-back singles to open the third.

Nate Robertson pitched out of trouble to keep the Tigers within 4-2, but it was a different outcome when the Pirates loaded the bases against him in the fourth. After the Tigers got a force at home for the second out, Sanchez homered over the left-field wall.

Raburn homered in the fifth to pull the Tigers within 8-3. McCutchen had an RBI single for the Pirates in the sixth.

Galarraga opened the season 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA in four starts. Since then, he has gone 0-7 with two no-decisions and a 7.54 ERA.

NOTES: Tigers manager Jim Leyland gave CF Curtis Granderson a day off for the first time this year. Granderson, batting .315 with 11 RBI in his previous 19 games, will return to the lineup Sunday, Leyland said. Raburn replaced Granderson in center. … Pirates manager John Russell sat RF Brandon Moss and will give him Sunday off as well. Moss is in an 0-for-15 slide that has dropped his batting average to .243. … Pirates RHP Charlie Morton may have his start Tuesday in Minnesota pushed back a day because of tightness in his hamstring. Morton’s status will be determined Sunday. If he cannot pitch, LHP Paul Maholm will move up a day in the rotation. … To mark the 100-year anniversary of the 1909 World Series victory against the Tigers, the Pirates honored 13 members of championship teams, including former manager Chuck Tanner. … Four former Pirates managers were in attendance: Tanner (1977-85), Leyland (1986-96), Gene Lamont (1997-2000) and Lloyd McClendon (2001-05). Lamont and McClendon are on Leyland’s staff.