Hao-Yu Lee’s three-run home run and a strong outing from starter Keider Montero propelled the visiting Detroit Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
The Tigers finished off a 4-2 road trip with the win, taking two of three at the Angels and the Cubs in their first two series after the All-Star break.
Lee’s homer broke a 1-1 deadlock in the fourth and the Detroit pitching staff did the rest, holding Chicago off the scoreboard after the first inning.
Montero (7-5) led that effort in his first start since June 26, giving up one run in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out eight with no walks.
Seiya Suzuki had a solo homer, one of only four hits for Chicago. Suzuki’s long ball opened the scoring with one out in the first.
Spencer Torkelson matched the feat an inning later to tie the game at one, his 19th long ball of the season.
The Tigers couldn’t scratch a run across after the first two batters reached base in the third, but they weren’t so wasteful when they got the same opportunity the very next inning.
Riley Greene doubled and Torkelson drew a walk to start the fourth, and then with two outs, Lee cranked a 3-0 pitch 389 feet to left-center to give Detroit its first lead of the game.
Lee’s long ball was costly for Cubs starter Colin Rea (7-7), who took the loss with four runs allowed in five innings.
An Ian Happ double with two outs in the fourth snapped a streak of 10 straight batters set down by Montero, but the righty promptly struck out Nico Hoerner to end the inning.
Drew Sommers needed only six pitches after replacing Montero in the sixth, forcing Michael Busch to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Zach McKinstry got Detroit an insurance run in the ninth with an RBI double.
The back end of the Tigers’ bullpen finished the job, as Drew Anderson, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen worked scoreless innings in the final three frames.
