The Detroit Tigers rolled into Tuesday night hoping to build on Monday’s thrilling win, but the Chicago Cubs had other plans. What unfolded was an 11-2 drubbing where the Tigers’ pitching hopes went up in smoke. Framber Valdez, fresh off seven sparkling innings against the A’s where he gave up a single run, three hits, and zero walks, was supposed to be the guy to give the bullpen a break. Instead, his night ended after just two outs in the first inning, leaving a 5-0 scoreboard and loaded bases behind him.
A First Inning Bloodbath That Set the Tone
The first inning was a nightmare. Pete Crow-Armstrong kicked it off with a triple to the right-field corner, then Seiya Suzuki walked. Alex Bregman wore a fastball to load them up. Carson Kelly poked a two-run single through the right side. Michael Busch followed suit, scoring Bregman to make it 3-0. Nico Horner singled up the middle, reloading the bases, and a short fly ball to right got caught by the wind, falling for another single and a 4-0 lead. After a popup and a strikeout, Valdez walked Crow-Armstrong, and that was it. He was pulled with two outs, five runs on the board, and the bases juiced. Ty Madden came in, walked Suzuki, but finally got Bregman to fly out. The damage? Six runs in one inning. Valdez’s final line: 2/3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 K. Yikes.
Peterson Cruises While the Wind Plays Havoc
On the other side, Cubs pitcher David Peterson, who joined the team from the Mets less than a month ago, had an absolute picnic. This guy was an All-Star in 2025 but has had a rough year, making this trade seem like a genius move for the Cubs. He was slicing through the Tigers’ lineup like a hot knife through brie. Meanwhile, the wind at Wrigley was a beast, blowing in and knocking fly balls down with extreme prejudice. Tigers’ hits that might have been homers Monday were dying well short of the fence. The Cubs weren’t done after the first, adding a walk, stolen base, and single in the second for a 7-0 lead. Madden kept struggling, walking more guys, before Brenan Hanifee replaced him in the fifth. Hanifee gave up a single and a home run within three pitches, pushing the score to 9-0. At least he had a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
Tigers Wave the White Flag
The Tigers couldn’t even get on the board in the seventh despite a walk by Dillon Dingler and a single by Matt Vierling. Crow-Armstrong made a sweet basket catch in center to squash that rally. Eventually, Detroit just waved the white flag, bringing Zach McKinstry to the mound to lob in some eephuses under 40 mph; though he did surprise with an 81 mph fastball. The Cubs tacked on two more runs, sealing the 11-2 rout. This was a tough one, showing that even after a thrilling win, things can go south in a hurry. The Tigers need to shake this one off fast and figure out how to get a decent outing from their starters.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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