Guerra waits 10 years to earn first MLB victory
Reliever caps off Pirates' 14-inning win over Tigers, pitching final three frames
DETROIT -- When it was time to sum up the Pirates' 5-4, 14-inning escape, manager Clint Hurdle could have started at a lot of places. He chose to start with Deolis Guerra.
"Guerra shows up," Hurdle said of the right-handed reliever, who was plugged into the bullpen four days ago. "Pitched three out of four days, and gives us three more innings. That's fantastic. ... 10 years toiling [in the Minors], and to come back and get the win."
Guerra, 26, waited a decade for that first Major League win. So he did not mind waiting another day -- the final outs of the Tigers weren't recorded until 12:38 a.m. ET Wednesday.
"Unbelievable, amazing. It feels great," Guerra said. "It's a moment I've waited for my whole life, and it finally came true."
For the beleaguered Pirates, too, Guerra was a dream come true. The only one of Gerrit Cole's six relievers to work multiple innings, Guerra allowed three hits in his three scoreless innings, one of them to Venezuela native Miguel Cabrera to ignite a brief rally in the 14th that was quickly snuffed out on Victor Martinez's game-ending double-play grounder.
Just getting to pitch to his countryman was an unforgettable experience for Guerra, who knew the occasion put him on the map in Venezuela.
"He was one of my favorite players," Guerra said of Cabrera. "To face him in that situation was an honor for me. An amazing feeling."
Touching all the bases
• First: Corey Hart, on the DL since June 24 (retroactive to June 22) with impingement in his left shoulder, began a rehab assignment Tuesday night with Triple-A Indianapolis with an RBI single in the first, and wound up going 1-for-4 while playing the entire game at first base.
• Second: Sean Rodriguez's 13th-inning triple was his first three-bagger since last Aug. 8.
Video: PIT@DET: Rodriguez triples with two outs in 13th
• Third: It took a long time to connect the final dots, but the Bucs' record in Chris Stewart's starts behind the plate improved to 14-4.
• Home: This three-game series comprises the Pirates' annual Father's Trip, with 16 dads of players, coaches and one manager hanging out with their boys here.