Eduardo Valencia hit a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run in the ninth inning to lift the host Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday in Justin Verlander’s final start.
The Tigers were down 3-1 in the ninth with Verlander on the hook for the loss.
Facing Pirates closer Mason Montgomery (6-4), Max Clark singled with one out and Hao-Yu Lee doubled him to third. Kevin McGonigle brought Lee in with a groundout to make it 3-2.
Valencia ended it with a homer just over the fence in left.
Jacob Waguespack (2-2) picked up the win in relief.
Verlander gave up five hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out six in 91 pitches.
It was the 43-year-old’s first start since March 30 and just his second start in his second stint with the Tigers.
A hip injury landed him on the injured list, and hamstring issues kept him out for months. He announced he was retiring during the season and the Tigers (76-85) decided to give him his last start at home on the next-to-last day of the season.
He did not make a minor league rehab start, instead building up through live batting practice, a simulated inning and bullpen sessions. He said he would have been happy with 20 pitches.
Instead, in his 557th career start, Verlander allowed only two runs, both on solo homers, and pitched into the sixth inning.
After Brandon Lowe fouled out to the catcher to start the sixth, Detroit manager AJ Hinch left the dugout and detoured toward the stands to bring Genevieve, Verlander’s seven-year-old daughter, onto the field to sprint to the mound and take her dad out of the game.
Verlander pitched for the Tigers from 2005-2017. It was his first start in Detroit in a Tigers uniform since August 20, 2017. He finished his career 266-159.
The Pirates (81-80) need to win Sunday to finish over .500 for the first time since 2018 and avoid the sweep.
Lowe gave the Pirates the early lead with a home run to lead off the second.
Jacob Gonzalez made it 2-0 with a two-out shot deep into the right field stands.
Javier Baez doubled home Spencer Torkelson in the sixth to pull Detroit within 2-1, but Bryan Reynolds restored Pittsburgh’s two-run lead with an RBI triple in the eighth.
Kirby Yates was the opener for the Pirates, giving up two hits and no runs in 1 2/3 innings. The right-hander had no walks and struck out one on 28 pitches.