With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Dickerson hit a ball that barely made it into the right-field stands off Detroit reliever Alex Wilson (0-3).

"I thought I got enough of it. I hit it in the air pretty good," Dickerson said.

The win validated a stellar performance by Pirates starter Ivan Nova.

Nova did not get a decision but pitched eight shutout innings, using only 81 pitches. He allowed six hits -- never more than one in any inning -- with five strikeouts. For his fourth start in a row, he did not walk a batter.

"With Nova pitching so good, we really wanted to give him the win," Dickerson said in reference to the club winning.

Pirates closer Felipe Vasquez (1-0) got into and out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth with two groundouts sandwiched around a popup to preserve the shutout.

Detroit starter Michael Fulmer also had a strong outing. Fulmer pitched six scoreless innings, giving up four hits, striking out nine and walking one, needing 75 pitches. His final inning, he had a mound visit from pitching coach and an athletic trainer who looked at Fulmer's pitching hand.

Left-hander Daniel Stumpf pitched a perfect seventh. Pittsburgh got two runners on in the eighth against Joe Jimenez but could not score.

The teams played their full three-game series in less than 24 hours after Tuesday's opener was rained out. They played a doubleheader Wednesday.

Nova got an immediate challenge when the first batter of the game, Leonys Martin, hit a triple but Nova then induced three groundball outs to strand Martin.

Pittsburgh came close in the eighth. Adam Frazier hit a two-out double, and Gregory Polanco was intentionally walked. On a grounder by Starling Marte toward third, Frazier eluded a tag by third baseman Niko Goodrum, but it was ruled Frazier left the basepath and was out.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle argued to no avail and was ejected.

--Field Level Media