Pittsburgh Pirates vs Detroit Tigers Picks and Prediction for Sunday, September 27, 2026

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit the Detroit Tigers on Sunday at Comerica Park, with the opening pitch scheduled for 3:10 PM ET and televised on MLB.TV. This is the final regular-season game for both clubs. Pittsburgh is 81-79, third in the NL Central, and has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Pirates lost 8-7 to Detroit on Friday but have won six of their last 10 games. Detroit is 75-85, fourth in the AL Central, and has also been eliminated. The Tigers won Friday after losing three of their previous four games and are 4-6 over their last 10. Cash in a winner with our free MLB picks.

Pittsburgh Pirates Trying to Finish a Winning Season

Pittsburgh had won three of four before Friday’s 8-7 loss in Detroit, beating St. Louis twice and Kansas City once during that stretch. Nick Gonzales is batting .302 with a .366 on-base percentage, 165 hits and 61 RBI. Brandon Lowe leads the Pirates with 34 home runs and 95 RBI while batting .260. Oneil Cruz has added 20 homers, 67 RBI and 30 stolen bases with a .281 average, while Bryan Reynolds has 17 home runs, 71 RBI and 102 runs.

The Pirates are batting .253 with 760 runs, 1,388 hits, 183 home runs, a .330 on-base percentage and .404 slugging percentage. Pittsburgh ranks fifth in MLB batting and 18th in pitching. The staff has a 4.17 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and .237 opponent average, with 1,471 strikeouts and 578 walks. Pittsburgh has scored 27 more runs than it has allowed this season. The Pirates have committed 95 errors, have a .983 fielding percentage, and enter the finale with a 37-42 road record.

Injuries: Esmerlyn Valdez (out), Isaac Mattson (out), Mitch Keller (out), Braxton Ashcraft (out), Endy Rodriguez (out).

Detroit Tigers Trying to Build on Friday’s Victory

Detroit ended a two-game losing streak Friday with an 8-7 victory over Pittsburgh after dropping consecutive home games against Washington. Riley Greene is batting .282 with a .373 on-base percentage and .477 slugging percentage, along with 21 home runs, 75 RBI and 142 hits. Dillon Dingler leads Detroit with 27 homers and 91 RBI. Kevin McGonigle has 165 hits, 17 home runs, 70 RBI, 96 runs and a .376 on-base percentage, while Spencer Torkelson has added 26 homers and 77 RBI.

The Tigers are batting .241 with 717 runs, 1,302 hits, 178 home runs, a .320 on-base percentage and .400 slugging percentage. Detroit ranks 19th in MLB batting but sixth in pitching. The Tigers have a 3.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and .231 opponent average, with 1,294 strikeouts and 503 walks. Detroit has allowed 645 runs, producing a plus-72 run differential despite its losing record. The Tigers have committed 77 errors with a .987 fielding percentage and own a 41-38 home record at Comerica Park.

Injuries: Jack Flaherty (out), Justin Verlander (out), Kyle Finnegan (out), Burch Smith (out), Parker Meadows (out).

Pitching Matchup

Pittsburgh Pirates - Jared Jones

Jared Jones is 5-6 with a 3.87 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 97.2 innings. He has allowed 78 hits and 12 home runs while recording 118 strikeouts and 31 walks.

Detroit Tigers - River Ryan

River Ryan is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across three innings. He has allowed two hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Detroit Tigers Game Pick

• Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh is the pick with better offensive production and the more established starter for Sunday’s finale. The Pirates are batting .253 with a .330 on-base percentage and 760 runs, compared with Detroit at .241, a .320 on-base percentage and 717 runs. Jones has a 3.87 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 118 strikeouts across 97.2 innings, while Ryan has worked only three innings. Pittsburgh has also won six of its last 10 games, and Friday’s one-run defeat showed little separation between these clubs recently.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Detroit Tigers Over/Under Pick

• Over

Friday’s 8-7 result showed how quickly these offenses can create scoring chances, and over is the pick for Sunday. Pittsburgh has scored 16 runs across its last five games, while Detroit has scored 21 during the same span. The Pirates have 760 runs and 183 home runs this season, while the Tigers have 717 runs and 178 homers. Ryan has pitched only three innings, creating uncertainty over Detroit’s pitching workload, while Pittsburgh’s 4.17 team ERA leaves room for another productive Tigers performance at home.