CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong reached five times on two hits and three walks, helping the Chicago Cubs beat Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers 11-2 on Tuesday night.
Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly each drove in two runs, and Michael Conforto connected for a two-run homer. Dansby Swanson had two hits and scored three times.
Chicago collected 11 hits while improving to 23-10 in its last 33 games, bouncing back nicely after losing
8-6 in 10 innings in the series opener on Monday night.
Dillon Dingler hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for Detroit, which had won three of four. The All-Star catcher went deep twice on Monday night.
Valdez (5-7) recorded just two outs in his first start since July 9. It also was the first outing for the left-hander since a stint on the bereavement list following the death of his maternal grandmother.
Crow-Armstrong tripled and scored on Kelly's two-run single in Chicago's six-run first. Crow-Armstrong also forced home a run with a bases-loaded walk before Valdez was replaced by Ty Madden.
It was more than enough for David Peterson (5-7), who pitched 6 2/3 innings of three-hit ball for Chicago. The left-hander struck out four and walked one.
Peterson was acquired in a June 25 trade with the New York Mets. The lefty surrendered 10 runs in his second start with the Cubs, but he has allowed three runs in 17 1/3 innings over his other three starts with his new team.
Crow-Armstrong added an RBI single in the third, and Conforto hit his ninth homer in the fifth against Brenan Hanifee. It was Conforto’s fourth pinch-hit homer of the year, tying Glenallen Hill in 1999 for the most by a Cubs player since at least 1901.
Madden provided a boost for Detroit’s weary bullpen by pitching 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Infielder Zach McKinstry and catcher Jake Rogers each got three outs for the Tigers.
Keider Montero (6-5, 3.22 ERA) starts for Detroit in the series finale on Wednesday night, and fellow right-hander Colin Rea (7-6, 4.74 ERA) pitches for Chicago.
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