DETROIT \u2014 The Detroit Tigers are a very good team this year, and they own the best record in MLB.<\/p>\n
But you know what, the Chicago Cubs are also a very good team this year, and Saturday they showed why, getting an outstanding start from Jameson Taillon and pounding five home runs in a 6-1 defeat of the Tigers<\/a> in Comerica Park.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Before I get to the highlights of this game, a bit of history from BCB\u2019s JohnW53:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a statistic you won\u2019t read anywhere else: the Cubs hit five home runs today among seven total hits. That is the fewest hits they have made in any of the 70 games since 1901 in which they homered five times. Their previous low was eight hits, in an 8-6 loss at home to the Padres on Aug. 10, 2004. They had nine hits and five homers in nine games, the first in 1964 and most recent on May 28, 2019, in a 9-6 loss at Houston.<\/p>\n The Cubs wasted no time taking the lead. After the first two Cubs were routine outs against opener Tyler Holton, Seiya Suzuki launched the first of those five homers [VIDEO]<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jameson Taillon mowed Tigers hitters down easily over the first four innings, allowing just a one-out single in the first, a leadoff walk in the third (erased on a double play) and a leadoff single in the fourth.<\/p>\n In the top of the fifth, Nico Hoerner led off with a single and Michael Busch got into double figures in home runs with this, his 10th [VIDEO]<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n That ball was crushed! [VIDEO]<\/a><\/p>\n So the Cubs took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth. Zach McKinstry tripled with one out. Then this happened [VIDEO].<\/a><\/p>\n The Cubs infield was playing back, seemingly conceding a run for an out, which they did not get. Catcher Jake Rogers was running. Matt Shaw should probably have taken the out at first. In the end the play did no real harm except for Taillon having to face an extra hitter in the fifth, as he retired the next two Tigers without incident.<\/p>\n The Cubs extended their lead in the seventh. Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the inning with this high, arching drive that just made the right-field seats [VIDEO]<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Check out the launch angle on that one! [VIDEO]<\/a><\/p>\n Two outs later, Shaw smashed his second of the year [VIDEO]<\/a>.<\/p>\n Friends, that was the first home run of 2025 by a Cubs third baseman (Shaw\u2019s other homer was hit as a pinch-hitter).<\/p>\n Taillon completed seven innings, allowing three hits and just one runner (McKinstry) past first base. He walked one and struck out five \u2014 here are those five K\u2019s [VIDEO]<\/a>.<\/p>\n And more on Taillon\u2019s outing [VIDEO].<\/a><\/p>\n He threw 84 pitches (56 strikes) and over his last four starts covering 26x innings, Taillon has allowed 14 hits and five walks (0.713 WHIP) and four earned runs (1.35 ERA). And, he did not allow a home run Saturday, for the first time since April 27. In that four-start span Taillon has lowered his season ERA from 4.53 to 3.54, just an excellent run. Here\u2019s hoping it continues.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Cubs got one more run in the eighth on Suzuki\u2019s second homer of the game [VIDEO].<\/a><\/p>\n That home run was his 16th. His career high is 21, set last year \u2014 he\u2019s likely got that by the All-Star break.<\/p>\n Also, there\u2019s this:<\/p>\n Caleb Thielbar entered to throw the eighth. Personally, I thought Taillon could have thrown one more inning, but Craig Counsell apparently opted to give him a bit less work. Thielbar got in trouble with a couple of hits, but Daniel Palencia entered to finish off the eighth scoreless.<\/p>\n In the ninth, Palencia allowed a one-out single and then walked Wenceel Perez. He then struck out McKinstry for the second out.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n