Detroit Tigers slug early, scamper in 10th inning to beat Chicago Cubs

CHICAGO – Dillon Dingler hit two homers and had an RBI single in the 10th inning, as the Detroit Tigers pulled away with an 8-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday, July 20.

After Dingler’s single gave the Tigers the lead, a Cubs error loaded the bases for Spencer Torkelson, who hit a two-run single up the middle to give the Tigers an 8-5 lead.

The other big star of the night was Riley Greene, who jacked a 3-run shot in the first inning and scored two runs for the surging Tigers (47-53) over the formidable Cubs (56-44).

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The Tigers (47-53) are now 25-15 since June 1. And none of this is a surprise to Tigers manager A.J. Hinch.

“May was a was a miserable month,” Hinch said before the game. “Everybody knows it. It put us in a really deep hole, and we’ve been steadily climbing out of that for the for the better part of two months. It hasn’t just been a good week or a good a good couple of weeks. It’s been a good couple of months.”

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The Tigers batting order just looks different with Gleyber Torres in it.

“I love getting Gleyber back,” Hinch said of his second baseman, who came off the injured list on Monday. “I think we’re a different team with him in the lineup, and then certainly the top of our lineup, it just gets longer.”

And yes, Torres played a role instantly, as the Tigers came out sizzling hot against Cubs starter Jameson Taillon, a right-hander with a 5.19 ERA. Torres started it off with a single. Colt Keith jacked an opposite-field double off the ivy in left field. And Riley Greene jacked his second homer in as many games.

Then, Dingler kept it going, hitting his 20th homer of the season, as the Tigers jumped to a 4-0 lead.

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It was a stunning whirlwind of runs.

The Tigers had a great scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth but didn’t get anything out of it.

After Taillon walked McGonigle and Torres, the Cubs brought Ryan Rolison, a lefty, to face Colt Keith. So, Hinch countered with Hoa-Yu Lee, who rifled a shot over shortstop to load the bases. That brought up Greene – a left-on-left matchup. But Greene ground out to first baseman Michael Busch who threw home to force out McGonigle.

And the scoring chance fizzled when Dingler lined out to second base.

The Tigers had another great chance in the top of the seventh after McGonigle slapped a double to left and Torres singled to right with one out. But Lee struck out and Greene lined out to right.

Dingler gave the Tigers some breathing room with his second homer, a solo shot in the eighth inning that gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead.

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Jack Flaherty got the start for the Tigers.

And McGonigle set the tone on defense.

McGonigle made a diving catch, robbing a potential extra-base hit from Cubs leadoff hitter Pete Crow-Armstrong. Then, Torkelson made a fantastic diving play to end the first inning, robbing Busch of another potential extra-base hit. He flipped the ball to Flaherty for the out.

Flaherty danced around trouble in the second inning, putting two guys on. But Tigers centerfielder James Outman tracked down a Dansby Swanson flyball that soared 396 feet to the warning track in center – 4 feet from a homer.

Then, in the third inning, Flaherty’s luck ran out, as Seiya Suzuki (105 mph exit velocity) and Busch hit back-to-back homers, as the Tigers lead shrunk to 4-3. Flaherty has given up four homers in his past three games, after going six games without giving up one.

Flaherty went four innings, giving up three earned runs off four hits and striking out four while walking two.

Then, Hinch went into a mix-and-match mode that felt like a playoff game; it worked until the eighth inning.

Lefty Drew Sommers came in to pitch against the top of the Cubs order in the fifth. He got into a dicey situation when the Cubs put two guys on with two outs. But Dingler ended the threat by back picking off Suzuki, who had ventured too far off second base. Somers went 1⅓ scoreless innings, giving up a hit.

Then, Hinch brought in Jacob Waguespack to finish the sixth and start the seventh (1⅓ innings, no runs).

That was a bridge to Kyle Finnegan, who finished the seventh and pitched into the eighth. All of that Hinch bullpen maneuvering was trying to slow down the Cubs. But Ian Happ hit a 2-run homer to tie it up in the eighth, 5-5.

Then, in the ninth inning, Dansby Swanson hit a double off Kenley Jansen. Michael Conforto lifted a long fly ball to deep center, moving Swanson to third. The Tigers intentionally walked Crow-Armstong. That brought up Suzuki, who struck out. Then, Jansen faced Busch, who walked.

That brought up Alex Bregman – the frequent Tigers free-agency target and former teammate of Hinch – who struck out.

The Tigers will play the second game of this series on Tuesday (8:05 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) with left-hander Framber Valdez (5-6, 4.10 ERA) making his first start back after spending time on the bereavement list. Lefty David Peterson (4-7, 6.45), a trade acquisition from the woeful New York Mets, will take the mound for the Cubs.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.