Detroit Tigers can't keep up with Chicago Cubs' home run parade in 6-1 loss
The Chicago Cubs hit five home runs: Seiya Suzuki in the first and eighth innings, Michael Busch in the fifth, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the seventh and Matt Shaw in the seventh.
Those five homers produced six runs.
The Detroit Tigers stood no chance against the Cubs on Saturday, June 7, at Comerica Park, losing 6-1. The Cubs' offense looked locked in from start to finish, whereas the Tigers' offense looked lifeless for most of the game, despite recording six hits and two walks.
Although the Tigers (42-24) find ways to win on most days, they entered Saturday having struggled offensively in their past 20 games, hitting just .226 with a .670 OPS — a noticeable downward trend from their .261 batting average and .758 OPS in the first 44 games.
The lone run for the Tigers occurred in the fifth inning, when Zach McKinstry hit a triple off right-hander Jameson Taillon and scored on Jake Rogers' grounder to third base.
That cut the deficit to 3-1.
The Tigers missed scoring opportunities early.
In the first inning, the Tigers stranded Gleyber Torres on second base after a single when Kerry Carpenter grounded out and Riley Greene struck out swinging. In the fourth, Torres delivered another single, but the Tigers stranded him again, as Carpenter flew out, Greene struck out swinging and Spencer Torkelson flew out.
They also missed a scoring opportunity late.
The Tigers had runners on the corners with one out the eighth inning, thanks to back-to-back singles from Jahmai Jones and Parker Meadows, but Torres popped out and Colt Keith lined out.
Greene finished 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.
Taillon, who owns a 3.54 ERA in 13 starts, allowed one run on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts across seven innings, throwing 84 pitches. A pair of relievers were responsible for three hits and one walk, but the Tigers didn't score in the final two innings.
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A homer parade
The Tigers implemented their opener-bulk reliever pitching strategy.
Left-handed reliever Tyler Holton started and completed 1⅓ innings, then right-handed starter Keider Montero entered out of the bullpen for the next 5⅔ innings, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
The Cubs scored five runs off Holton and Montero.
In the first, Suzuki hit Holton's changeup at the bottom of the strike zone for a solo home run. In the fifth, Busch destroyed Montero's first-pitch changeup — which he left in the middle of the zone — for a two-run home run.
The Cubs took a 3-0 lead with their first two homers.
In the seventh, Crow-Armstrong hit Montero's curveball for a solo home run, and Shaw hit Montero's slider for a solo homer. Both pitchers were located at the bottom of the zone.
Right-handed reliever Chase Lee replaced Montero in the eighth inning. He allowed Suzuki's second homer of the game on a down-and-in sweeper for another solo shot.
The final three homers made it 6-1.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers score: Cubs blast 5 home runs in 6-1 win
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