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The Detroit Tigers shut out the Miami Marlins, 2-0, in the series finale.Keider Montero threw five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out five.Spencer Torkelson reached base three times and scored the Tigers’ first run.
MIAMI – Detroit Tigers right-hander Keider Montero was outstanding in the series finale against the Miami Marlins, helping avoid the sweep and making a case that he should be on the postseason roster.
Montero pitched five innings of shutout ball, striking out four without a walk in a 2-0 victory on Sunday, Sept. 14 at loanDepot Park.
“He is a built on adrenaline,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of Montero before Sunday’s game. “A lot of times we’re trying to get him to slow down a little bit and stay under control, but the full max effort version of Keider with velocity up, creates a lot of options for him. The fastball is better, the breaking ball is better.”
Want another recent data point? Montero pitched 1⅔ innings on Sept. 11 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on a night when the crowd was electric, crazy and loud. Even though that game wasn’t close, Montero handled a pressure-packed moment impressively. He entered the game with the bases loaded and struck out the top two batters in the Yankees’ order – Austin Slater and Aaron Judge – to end a threat.
With their victory, the Tigers (85-65) maintained their 6½-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians, who also won Sunday, in the American League Central. The Tigers’ magic number to clinch their first division title since 2014 dropped to seven with 12 games to play. The Tigers next face the Guardians in a three-game series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 16 (6:40 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit). Despite the magic number of seven, the Tigers could clinch the division with a sweep of Cleveland this week (as a sweep would give the Tigers the win in the season series and thus the tiebreaker in the event of a tie in the AL Central).
Interesting Hinch decision
The fact that Montero even started Sunday was interesting. But it happened because Hinch took a calculated risk with the long play in mind.
Hinch could have started right-hander Casey Mize on Sunday against the Marlins (70-80) on five days rest. Hinch might have done it, too, if the Tigers were in a tight postseason race. But the Tigers’ big lead in the division has allowed him to subtly rest some pitchers.
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So, he employed a bullpen game on Sunday, especially considering the Tigers have an off day Monday, Sept. 15. That will set up the big, upcoming Cleveland series with the following probable pitchers: Mize on Tuesday; right-hander Jack Flaherty on Wednesday, Sept. 17, and ace left-hander Tarik Skubal on Thursday, Sept. 18 (assuming he doesn’t have any setbacks while dealing with the left side issue that ended his most recent start early).
“What an opportunity that we have to enter the final 13 games of the year with a lead,” Hinch said before the game. “And we’re going to get to play a rival when we get home.”
José Urquidy returns
After Montero left the game, José Urquidy went to the mound, pitching for the first time since 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
He got through his first inning, allowing just a hit. But when he got into trouble after a single and walk, Hinch turned to right-hander Tommy Kahnle, who got out of the jam. Kahnle came back to the pitch the eighth, as the Tigers held a 2-0 lead.
Will Vest then pitched the ninth, closing out the win for the Tigers for his 21st save of 2025.
Calling Williamsport
Hand out the orange slices and everybody meet at the Dairy Queen after the game.
Because it looked like a Little League game broke out in the second inning.
After Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson walked, Colt Keith hit a bouncing ball to first, where Eric Wagaman couldn’t field it and the ball bounced into foul territory.
So, Torkelson took off for third. Second baseman Maximo Acosta, backing up the play, scooped up the ball and tried to throw out Torkelson at third. Big mistake. The ball whizzed past third baseman Javier Sanoja and rolled into foul territory.
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Left fielder Troy Johnston was late in backing up the play and couldn’t pick up the ball as it scooted past him. That allowed Keith to get to third.
The Marlins committed three errors on that one play and the Tigers had a 1-0 lead.
Cather Dillon Dingler, the next batter, promptly singled up the middle, knocking in Keith and giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
This story was updated to reflect the Tigers’ magic number vs. the Guardians.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.