Tigers Secure 5-1 Victory Over Rays with Stellar Pitching

Keider Montero delivered a strong performance on the mound, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night. The combined effort of Montero and three relievers resulted in a five-hit game for the Tigers.

With this win, the Tigers improved their record to 58-34, marking their fourth consecutive victory while allowing only four runs during this stretch. This achievement brings them to 24 games above .500 for the first time since 2013.

Montero, now 4-1, pitched six innings, surrendering just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out four batters. After a rocky start to the season, he has rebounded impressively, boasting a 4-0 record with a 3.31 ERA across 11 appearances as both a starter and bulk reliever.

Relievers Tyler Holton, Brenan Hanifee, and Will Vest each contributed a scoreless inning to seal the win for Detroit.

On the other side, Shane Baz (8-4) struggled, giving up three runs and seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over six innings. The Rays have now lost seven of their last ten games, despite Baz entering the matchup with a perfect 5-0 record in his previous eight starts.

The Tigers struck first in the second inning when Javier Báez launched a two-run homer into the Rays' bullpen. Jonathan Aranda responded for Tampa Bay with a two-out RBI single in the third, narrowing the gap to 2-1. However, right fielder Zach McKinstry made a crucial play by throwing out Danny Jansen as he attempted to advance from first to third.

Riley Greene extended the Tigers' lead to 3-1 with an RBI single in the fifth inning. In the eighth, both Colt Keith and McKinstry added homers against reliever Paul Gervase, further solidifying Detroit's advantage.

Gleyber Torres walked in the first inning, extending his on-base streak to 20 games—the longest for a Tigers player since Kerry Carpenter's 24-game streak in 2023. The franchise record remains at 57 games, set by George Kell in 1950.

In an entertaining moment, Rays third baseman Junior Caminero received applause from the Comerica Park crowd after he made an impressive attempt to catch Parker Meadows' foul pop-up, flying into the stands and getting tangled in the netting. After a brief check from the training staff, he remained in the game.

Looking ahead, Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty (5-9, 4.84 ERA) is set to face off against Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (6-6, 3.34) on Tuesday.