Coghlan, Montero Homer As Cubs Pound Tigers 12-3
By NOAH TRISTER/AP Baseball Writer
DETROIT (AP) - Chris Coghlan and Miguel Montero each hit a three-run homer, and the Chicago Cubs pounded the Detroit Tigers 12-3 on Wednesday night.
Jake Arrieta (6-4) shut out the Tigers until Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run shot of his own in the sixth. The Cubs led 6-0 before that, and Chicago added six more runs in the seventh.
Shane Greene (4-6) allowed five runs and seven hits in three innings, another poor outing for the right-hander who looked so sharp at the beginning of the season. Greene allowed one earned run over his first three starts for the Tigers. Since then, he's posted an 8.60 ERA.
Arrieta gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked one.
The Cubs wasted a leadoff triple by Dexter Fowler in the first. But Addison Russell opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second, and Chicago added four runs in the third. Coghlan's eighth homer of the season made it 4-0, and Chris Denorfia added a run-scoring single.
Detroit center fielder Anthony Gose made an error on Denorfia's single in the fifth, allowing Mike Baxter to score from first to make it 6-0.
The Tigers missed a chance to cut into the lead after they loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. James McCann fouled out to shallow right field, and Jose Iglesias struck out.
Cespedes connected for his ninth homer of the year an inning later.
McCann, Detroit's catcher, made a terrific diving catch near his team's dugout when Denorfia popped up a bunt in foul territory in the seventh - but that was the only highlight of that inning for the Tigers. Fowler drew a bases-loaded walk by Tom Gorzelanny, and Anthony Rizzo followed with a two-run single.
Montero's three-run homer off Al Alburquerque made it 12-3.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: Chicago manager Joe Maddon said the Cubs haven't discussed a date for a possible rehab assignment for OF Jorge Soler, who is on the DL with a left ankle sprain.
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander spoke before Wednesday's game. The Tigers plan to give Verlander his first start of the season Saturday against Cleveland. He's been out with a triceps strain.
"I've worked as hard as I can and gotten back about as soon as I can," he said. "I'm just excited to get back out there."
UP NEXT
Cubs: Host Cincinnati on Thursday night. Chicago LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (0-1) faces Michael Lorensen (1-1).
Tigers: After an off day Thursday, Detroit hosts Cleveland. Tigers LHP David Price (5-2) faces Danny Salazar (6-1) on Friday night.
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