Detroit Tigers right-hander Keider Montero, who celebrated his 24th birthday over the weekend, keeps getting better and better.
In Monday’s start, the rookie pitched into the seventh inning in the fourth game of his MLB career.
He was in control of the game.
The Tigers didn’t provide Montero run support, but they eventually scored in the eighth inning for a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday in the first of four games between the American League Central foes at Comerica Park.
“The night starts with Keider,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
“He was amazing. He really did a good job of pounding the strike zone.
A team stacking almost an entire lineup of left-handers, he continued to land his pitches, throw first-pitch strikes, be very efficient and stay in complete control of the game.”
In the eighth, the Tigers had runners on the corners with one out.
A fielding error by Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio spoiled any chance of an inning-ending double play, allowing the runner from third to score standing up.
“We were fortunate that he was caught in between,” Hinch said.
“They were playing for the double play and playing for the play at home, depending on what he read.
He got caught in between, and we got to take advantage of an error.”
The Tigers (42-48) have a four-game winning streak.
