Montero's few 'mistake' pitches prove costly in finale

MILWAUKEE -- The Tigers entered their series against the Brewers with a 9-6 record, tied for the highest winning percentage in the American League.

With a four-game set at home versus Kansas City on the horizon, a stop in Milwaukee could’ve led to an even happier flight home. But the Tigers couldn’t carry on the momentum after winning three of four to start the road trip.

Detroit dropped both of the last two games to Milwaukee, including Wednesday’s 5-1 loss in the series finale at American Family Field. As of the last out, the Tigers had fallen from first place in the AL Central (by win percentage). It’ll be nice, then, to head back for a 10-game stretch back at Comerica Park.

“We need to reset and go home,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “It's the first series we've lost in a while, so we'll wash this off and get back home and get to better times.”

Here’s a pair of takeaways from Wednesday’s loss in Milwaukee:

Montero struggles in season debut
The idea behind having right-hander Keider Montero start Wednesday was to give an extra day of rest to the rest of the rotation. He’d impressed as a rookie, and Detroit wanted a solid young arm to start the finale in Milwaukee.

Unfortunately, Montero’s 2025 campaign didn’t get off to the best start. In five-plus innings, the 24-year-old allowed five runs on eight hits. His stuff still worked well at different stages of the game -- his slider induced eight whiffs on 13 swings -- and he finished with eight strikeouts, but that ultimately didn’t save his box score.

“He did have some good things that he did where he looked pretty sharp, and all of his pitches were working. And then, there were times he couldn't keep the ball in the ballpark,” Hinch said. “This is an offensive ballpark. He made some mistakes, and they made him pay.”

Those “mistakes” Hinch referred to came on two of the three home runs Montero allowed. Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins’ third-inning long ball came on a four-seamer up and away, so that might’ve been just a better piece of hitting.

But designated hitter Christian Yelich (third-inning homer) and right fielder Sal Frelick (sixth-inning homer) didn’t miss when two of the five changeups Montero threw on the day caught too much of the plate.

“If we could take a couple pitches back, I think [it's a] different ballgame,” catcher Tomás Nido said.

It’s unclear whether this was a spot start or the beginning of a longer stint. No matter what happens, the hope is better performances are ahead.

“I've always said, regardless of where I'm at, I want to give 100 percent of myself,” Montero said via interpreter Carlos Guillen. “They sent me to [Triple-A] Toledo with some specifics to work on, and I did. I followed through everything they requested me to do, and thank God, things went well and here I am.”

Offense slumps through final two games
Detroit erupted for a 9-1 win in the series opener, tying the team’s season-high for runs in a game. Every starter contributed either a run or an RBI (four did both). However, that didn’t carry over into the last two contests.

The Tigers went scoreless Tuesday, as the Brewers held them to just one hit and three walks. They went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and struck out 10 times. Though first baseman Spencer Torkelson’s sixth-inning home run Wednesday kept it from being a second consecutive shutout, things didn’t get much better.

Detroit gave themselves more opportunities with seven hits and four walks on the day. But the team struck out nine times, went 0-for-7 with RISP and they left nine on base.

“Didn't come up with a real big base hit,” Hinch said. “We just haven't had consistent at-bats [in Milwaukee], back to back to back, and delivering the big punch like we have for most of this season.”

Left fielder Riley Greene is one Tiger whose struggles continued. Even after getting the day off Monday, he went 0-for-8 in the series. Dating back to April 6, Greene has one hit in his last 32 at-bats.

“I know he's carrying the weight of the last at-bat into this at-bat,” Hinch said, “and when a guy goes through these stretches, everybody looks for solutions, and you got a lot of people in his ear. … It's a vicious sport whenever you're chasing something, and just seeing it piling up on him a little bit. He's one good day away from erasing a lot of it.”