Flores sparks comeback, Lowe delivers walk-off for Pirates in rubber match win Over Tigers

Tigers Pirates Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates' Brandon Lowe, center, and Rafael Flores Jr. get doused by teammate Billy Cook, left, while being interviewed after both hit home runs in the ninth inning off Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenley Jansen during a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By Danny Demilio

PITTSBURGH — This article originally appeared onPGHBaseballNOW.com.

Two solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth inning capped of an improbable 4-3 walk-off win for the Pirates over the Tigers in a Wednesday afternoon rubber match at PNC Park.

Key Moments

Brandon Lowe’s game-winner gave the Pirates their second straight series win after they dropped their previous seven. It was the Pirates’ fourth walk-off win this season.

Player of the Game

Rafael Flores wasn’t in the starting lineup but homered in each of his two at-bats after pinch-hitting for Henry Davis in the seventh. He became the first Pirate in franchise history to homer twice in a game he did not start.

Stat to Know

This was the first time the Pirates hit the game-tying and game-winning home run in the same inning (ninth inning or later) since Pedro Álvarez and Starling Marte against the Blue Jays on May 2, 2014.

Click here to read more from PGHBaseballNOW.com.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW