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Chicago — The Tigers are easing second baseman Gleyber Torres back into the lineup after he returned Monday from a second stint this season on the injured list with a left oblique strain.
Backup second baseman Hao-Yu Lee took full advantage of manager AJ Hinch’s plan and helped lift the Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.
Lee, a 23-year-old rookie from Taiwan, hit a three-run, tie-breaking homer in the fourth inning to put the Tigers ahead 4-1. Lee’s high drive off Colin Rea narrowly made it into Wrigley Field’s left-center bleachers against a cool wind that was blowing in at Chicago’s iconic North Side ballpark.
Spencer Torkelson had already smacked a solo shot in the second for the first of his two hits. Zach McKinstry doubled in an insurance run in the ninth as Detroit won for the 13th time in its last 18 games, and took a fourth straight road series for the first time since May-June 2025.
Lee, appearing in his 60th big-league game, also extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Meanwhile, Keider Montero, making his first start since June 26, gave the weary Tigers pitching staff what it needed. The right-hander tossed 5⅓ sharp innings, allowing one run on three hits while walking none, and improved to 7-5.
Montero struck out a season-high eight, including Cubs All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong twice.
BOX SCORE: Tigers 5, Cubs 1
Keider had made five appearances from the bullpen over the last month. In his previous start, he tossed seven innings against Houston and allowed no runs on six hits in an 8-0 win.
On Wednesday, Montero yielded a solo shot to Seiya Suzuki on a down-the-middle sinker in the first. It was the first homer the Montero had allowed in his last seven outings, dating to June 21 against the White Sox.
That’s all the Tigers gave up to the high-powered Cubs offense. Relievers Drew Sommers, Drew Anderson, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen combined to wrap up a four-hitter.
Torres rested as part of planned maintenance by Hinch. Torres was sidelined from June 15 until he returned for the series opener on Monday. He played again on Tuesday.
Torres also was sidelined from May 4-June 2 and had appeared in just 45 games entering Wednesday.
All-Star rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle singled to extend his hitting streak to five games and give him hits in 11 of his last 13 games.
McGonigle, however, was caught stealing for the first time in his career after 11 straight successful swipes.
After Suzuki’s drive off Montero’s center-cut 3-2 fastball ahead in the first. Torkelson smacked his 19th homer to left in the second to tie it at 1. He connected on a 88.5-mph slider on the low edge of the zone, sending it 391 feet.
A potential rally was dashed when Cubs catcher Carson Kelly easily threw out McGonigle trying to steal second. Rea then fanned Dillon Dingler and Colt Keith.
Lee hit his fifth homer of the season off a 3-0, center-cut fastball to put the Tigers ahead in the fourth.
Montero, then the bullpen, took over from there.
Montero exited in the sixth, one out after Crow-Armstrong reached on the pitcher’s fielding error. Sommers got the next hitter, Michael Busch, to bounce back to him and start a double play.
Matt Carlson is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Montero, Lee power Tigers past Cubs to cap winning road trip
Continue reading...
Backup second baseman Hao-Yu Lee took full advantage of manager AJ Hinch’s plan and helped lift the Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.
Lee, a 23-year-old rookie from Taiwan, hit a three-run, tie-breaking homer in the fourth inning to put the Tigers ahead 4-1. Lee’s high drive off Colin Rea narrowly made it into Wrigley Field’s left-center bleachers against a cool wind that was blowing in at Chicago’s iconic North Side ballpark.
Spencer Torkelson had already smacked a solo shot in the second for the first of his two hits. Zach McKinstry doubled in an insurance run in the ninth as Detroit won for the 13th time in its last 18 games, and took a fourth straight road series for the first time since May-June 2025.
Lee, appearing in his 60th big-league game, also extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Meanwhile, Keider Montero, making his first start since June 26, gave the weary Tigers pitching staff what it needed. The right-hander tossed 5⅓ sharp innings, allowing one run on three hits while walking none, and improved to 7-5.
Montero struck out a season-high eight, including Cubs All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong twice.
BOX SCORE: Tigers 5, Cubs 1
Keider had made five appearances from the bullpen over the last month. In his previous start, he tossed seven innings against Houston and allowed no runs on six hits in an 8-0 win.
On Wednesday, Montero yielded a solo shot to Seiya Suzuki on a down-the-middle sinker in the first. It was the first homer the Montero had allowed in his last seven outings, dating to June 21 against the White Sox.
That’s all the Tigers gave up to the high-powered Cubs offense. Relievers Drew Sommers, Drew Anderson, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen combined to wrap up a four-hitter.
Torres rested as part of planned maintenance by Hinch. Torres was sidelined from June 15 until he returned for the series opener on Monday. He played again on Tuesday.
Torres also was sidelined from May 4-June 2 and had appeared in just 45 games entering Wednesday.
All-Star rookie shortstop Kevin McGonigle singled to extend his hitting streak to five games and give him hits in 11 of his last 13 games.
McGonigle, however, was caught stealing for the first time in his career after 11 straight successful swipes.
After Suzuki’s drive off Montero’s center-cut 3-2 fastball ahead in the first. Torkelson smacked his 19th homer to left in the second to tie it at 1. He connected on a 88.5-mph slider on the low edge of the zone, sending it 391 feet.
A potential rally was dashed when Cubs catcher Carson Kelly easily threw out McGonigle trying to steal second. Rea then fanned Dillon Dingler and Colt Keith.
Lee hit his fifth homer of the season off a 3-0, center-cut fastball to put the Tigers ahead in the fourth.
Montero, then the bullpen, took over from there.
Montero exited in the sixth, one out after Crow-Armstrong reached on the pitcher’s fielding error. Sommers got the next hitter, Michael Busch, to bounce back to him and start a double play.
Matt Carlson is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Montero, Lee power Tigers past Cubs to cap winning road trip
Continue reading...
