The Detroit Tigers did themselves no favors in the first of three games against the team directly in front of them in the American League wild-card chase.
The Baltimore Orioles built an early lead off Tigers starter Keider Montero, then emphatically answered Detroit's counterpunch with two fifth-inning home runs in the Tigers' 8-5 loss in the series opener on Monday, July 27.
The Tigers scored two runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut into Baltimore's multi-run lead, but the Orioles (52-55) answered with home runs from Coby Mayo, Leody Taveras and Tyler O'Neill to keep Detroit at an arm's length.
Montero (7-6, 3.34 ERA) gave up a season-high six runs (four earned) on nine hits across 4⅓ innings. Brenan Hanifee and Tyler Holton gave up two
of the three home runs as the first two arms out of the bullpen.
The Tigers tallied five runs on 11 hits, but could not keep up with the Orioles' offense.
The Tigers (50-57) have now lost three straight to fall 6½ games behind the White Sox in the AL Central standings with Chicago still playing. Detroit is four games behind the Cleveland Guardians, who were rained out Monday, for the final wild-card spot.
On the mound: Orioles tag Keider Montero
Montero, who has been rock solid as a starter or reliever this year, had one of his toughest outings of the year. The six runs given up (four earned) were a season high.
He ran into trouble in the first on hits from Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson. Alonso eventually scored on a fielder's choice.
Jackson Holliday led off the second with a double to left, followed by a Colt Keith fielding error that allowed Mayo to reach base. Both Holliday and Mayo came around to score as unearned runs. Mayo drove in another run with a third-inning single.
Montero had a quick fourth inning, but the success stopped there. He surrendered a 412-foot solo home run to Taveras in the fifth, and was pulled after a Holliday single in the next at-bat. Brenan Hanifee allowed the inherited runner to score by giving up a two-run home run to Mayo. O'Neill, a pinch hitter, hit his 400-foot home run off Holton to lead off the sixth inning.
At the plate: Hao-Yu Lee stays hot
Rookie second baseman Hao-Yu Lee extended his hitting streak to 12 games – the longest active streak in MLB – with an RBI infield single in the fourth inning. Lee capitalized with the bases loaded by punching a soft ground ball to the perfect spot in the third-base hole. Riley Greene started the inning with a 110 mph double off the right field wall, followed by a Spencer Torkelson single and Zach McKinstry walk.
The Tigers cut their deficit to 4-3 in the fourth, but Baltimore immediately answered with three more runs. The Tigers added two more runs in the fifth with a Torkelson sacrifice fly and McKinstry single. Again, the Orioles answered with the long ball in the sixth.
McKinstry, who started in right field in place of the injured Kerry Carpenter, finished with a triple and single. He hit his third triple of the year in the second inning and eventually scored the team's first run on a Lee sacrifice fly.
Squirrel steals the show
The loudest cheers – and boos – from the Comerica Park crowd of 21,913 came during the sixth and seventh innings. A black squirrel appeared on the center-field warning track and proceeded to prance around the park for two straight frames.
The squirrel evaded approximately two dozen members of the Tigers ground crew in the middle of the seventh inning. Taveras tried to help by scooping the squirrel in his glove, but ended up launching it in the air like a rag doll. Eventually, the grounds crew scooped up the furry fella using towels and were promptly showered with loud boos from the crowd as they ushered him off the field.
A squirrel and a dove watch the Orioles and Tigers 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3aQu7YNhT2
— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2026
The squirrel is breaking ankles out there 😭 https://t.co/VHSj8H0MbB pic.twitter.com/dkE6jld78m
— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2026
Next up: Game 2
The Tigers and Orioles meet again on Tuesday (6 p.m., Detroit SportsNet). Troy Melton (5-1, 1.95 ERA) is slated to start for Detroit, against Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer (1-3, 5.06 ERA).
ContactJared Ramsey at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers blitzed by homer-heavy Orioles for 3rd straight loss
