Tigers, Royals: Spencer Torkelson hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the fifth inning off Seth Lugo, and the Tigers extended the Royals’ losing streak to six with a 3-1 win Saturday. The Tigers won the first three games of the four-game series and is 8-1 at Comerica Park, their best home start since nine straight wins to begin 1993. Casey Mize (3-1) gave up one run and four hits in seven innings. He has allowed one run or none in three of four starts. Will Vest pitched the ninth for his first save, finishing a six-hitter. Torkelson hit his seventh home run this season, giving him 21 RBIs, driving a 1-2 splitter into the Tigers bullpen in left-center. Lugo (1-3) gave up five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He had tied his career high by allowing four homers in his previous start, at Yankee Stadium. The Royals are 1-8 on a 10-game trip that started in Cleveland and New York. The Royals are 8-14 and have gone 15 straight games without scoring more than four runs. They are 4 for 32 with runners in scoring position in the series. Freddy Fermin hit a solo homer in the seventh and reached on an infield single with two outs in the ninth. Kyle Isbel popped out on the next pitch.

Pirates: David Bednar is back in the big leagues. The Pirates recalled their two-time All-Star closer on Saturday ahead of their game against the Guardians. The Pirates sent Bednar to Triple-A Indianapolis earlier this month after he struggled in three appearances to start the season. Bednar was 0-2 with a 27.00 ERA and one save at the time of the demotion. Manager Derek Shelton said the team has not defined a role for Bednar, who allowed just one hit against seven strikeouts and no walks in five innings of work with Indianapolis. “We’re kind of pitching to what we think the leverage is and what we feel the matchup is, but excited to have him back,” Shelton said. “He went down, he pitched really well. He handled himself really well. I think we’ve said all along we’re a better bullpen with David Bednar in it. It’s nice to have him back.” The Pirates entered Saturday with an 8-13 record and have essentially been doing closer by committee, though Dennis Santana has been primarily used at the back end in tight games. Shelton said the Pirates are going to take it “day-by-day” with Bednar, though in a best-case scenario he returns to the form that saw the Pittsburgh-area native rack up 81 saves from 2022-24.

Mets: Francisco Lindor knew. He didn’t have to watch. He turned on an inside cutter from Ryan Fernandez leading off the ninth inning and sent the ball soaring into Citi Field’s second deck in right field, 401 feet away. “I hit it with everything I had,” he said. “If that one didn’t go, I was going to run out of luck.” Lindor’s home run, the 250th of his major league career, lifted the Mets over the Cardinals 5-4 on Friday night and sent smoke rising from the Home Run Apple in center field.