Keider Montero threw a complete-game shutout in his most recent start.
The Detroit Tigers’ rookie right-hander will look to deliver another sparkling outing in the finale of a three-game home series against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.
Montero required just 96 pitches to blank the Colorado Rockies 11-0 on Tuesday. He became the first Tigers pitcher to throw a complete game since Spencer Turnbull’s no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on May 18, 2021.
“I know how aggressive they are,” Montero said. “So what I did was mix my pitches and stay aggressive in the strike zone and let them get themselves out.”
Montero (5-6, 4.88 ERA) was recalled from Triple-A Toledo in late June after Detroit’s rotation was riddled by injuries. He’s remained in the rotation despite some struggles. He entered his last start with a 5.47 ERA.
“It’s one of the reasons we have stuck with him — the weapons,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “The versatility in his arsenal. His ability to hang in. His competitiveness. There’s a lot of ingredients. He just needs reps. He needs consistent routines and those are the things we’ve been chiseling away at since he was in A ball.”
He’ll face the Orioles for the first time. Baltimore will counter with another rookie, left-hander Cade Povich (2-8, 5.91 ERA).
Povich tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox in his first start this month. In his last outing, on Monday, he gave up four runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. Baltimore fell 12-3.
“It’s been the same kind of mantra or maybe the same thing I’ve been saying since getting called back up,” Povich said. “Just wanted to continue to see the aggression in the zone. I think this might have been — correct me if I’m wrong — maybe the first game since being called up I had more than one walk. Had two, but overall, still think I was in the zone pretty well. Making competitive pitches.”
Povich allowed back-to-back home runs to Rob Refsnyder and Tyler O’Neill.
“Obviously, a couple on the edges that were still a little too good that they were able to put in play,” Povich said. ‘But you know, starting to settle in, and that’s all it is, is just starting to settle in, find those things, when I can make pitches that are there and when not to.”
Povich will face Detroit (76-73) for the first time.
The Orioles (84-65) rebounded from a 1-0 loss in the series opener on Friday to post a 4-2 victory on Saturday night. Gunnar Henderson provided the big blow with a two-run homer in the seventh inning.
With the first-place New York Yankees losing to Boston earlier in the day, the Orioles moved within two games of first place in the American League East.
“This was a big win for us,” said James McCann, who had a sacrifice fly during a three-run seventh. “It’s no secret the ball hasn’t been bouncing our way, things haven’t been going our way. But one thing about this clubhouse is we’ve stayed close through it all, and we’re going to keep grinding together.”
Detroit had won five of its previous six contests. The Tigers are 2 1/2 games out of the third and final AL wild-card berth.
