Detroit Tigers lose 3-1 to Cubs, Javier Báez strikes out four times in Wrigley Field return

CHICAGO — Dansby Swanson, an All-Star shortstop, hasn't provided a substantial spark for the Chicago Cubs in the second season of his seven-year contract, but in Tuesday's game, he helped the Cubs separate from the Detroit Tigers with a big swing in the sixth inning.

A solo home run to left-center field provided an important insurance run for the Cubs. The Tigers lost, 3-1, to the Cubs on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

Shortstop Javier Báez, who played for the Cubs from 2014-21, finished 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in his first game at Wrigley Field since the Cubs traded him to the New York Mets at the 2021 trade deadline.

"Great tribute to him," manager A.J. Hinch said. "The fans, the video, all the memories. Our guys were glued to it. We all love Javy, and we all hate to see him struggle to the level that he is. It was a tough night, obviously."

As Báez struggled, the Cubs scored all three runs in the fifth and sixth innings against left-hander Bryan Sammons, who covered 4⅓ innings out of the bullpen.

The Tigers (61-65) controlled a one-run lead until two outs in the fifth inning, when Cody Bellinger turned on an up-and-in fastball for a two-run double to right field.

"The pitch to Bellinger leaked back in," said catcher Dillon Dingler. "We were going away."

Bellinger was thrown out trying to turn a double into a triple, but two runners (reaching safely on a walk and a single) scored on Bellinger's line drive to put the Cubs in front, 2-1.

The Cubs tacked on for a 3-1 advantage with Swanson's solo home run off Sammons' middle-in 90.8 mph fastball with two outs in the sixth inning. He hit the ball 387 feet to left-center field with a 107.1 mph exit velocity.

It was Swanson's 10th home run of the 2024 season.

"I shouldn't have went inside to him," Dingler said. "I should have went with a different pitch call."

Swanson is coming off three seasons in a row with 20-plus home runs.

Sammons allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts across 4⅓ innings, throwing 72 pitches. Right-handed reliever Alex Faedo covered the first five outs of the game for the Tigers, working as an opener.

"He's got a lot of different shapes, and he throws them pretty much wherever he wants," Dingler said of Sammons. "Also, nothing is too big for him. He goes out there, gives it his all and puts the exact pitch where he wants to, and it works out. I love the way he works, and I love the way he pitches."

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Spencer Torkelson's big game

Spencer Torkelson, who finished 4-for-4 with three singles and one double, delivered his two-bagger in the top of the ninth inning, but the Tigers stranded him with three out in a row.

Báez struck out for the fourth time to end the game.

"I think for him, emotionally, it has to be indifferent for him to walk into this ballpark for the first time," Hinch said. "He had a lot of opportunities and couldn't come through. Pretty emotional night."

In the ninth, Torkelson smashed a 97.2 mph fastball — located down-and-away — with a 107.5 mph exit velocity. The swing on the double was his best in three games since returning from Triple-A Toledo.

"Just not trying to do too much," Torkelson said. "If I'm trying to leave the yard there, we're still down by a run, so I wanted to get something started, keep it simple and get on base any way possible."

Torkelson has six hits and two walks in 10 trips to the plate across the past three games. Three of the six hits went for extra bases, with two doubles and one triple.

"You gotta take small wins whenever you can," Torkelson said. "Let's just keep on going."

The only run

The Tigers scored their lone run in the second inning.

It happened on three singles in a row from Torkelson, Jace Jung and Dillon Dingler.

The single from Dingler put the Tigers ahead, 1-0.

Assad allowed one run on six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in 5⅔ innings, throwing 95 pitches. After Dingler's leadoff triple in the fifth inning, Assad stranded him by striking out three batters in a row: Báez, Parker Meadows and Riley Greene.

In the sixth inning, Jung stranded runners on the corners when he struck out swinging against right-handed reliever Tyson Miller, who replaced Assad.

The Tigers finished 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

"Definitely happy with the hits," Torkelson said. "Just a product of keeping it simple. I felt like I had a really good plan. We all had a really good plan going into the game, and I felt really good about executing it."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Javier Báez strikes out four times in Detroit Tigers' 3-1 loss to Cubs