Keider Montero cruises as Tigers steamroll Athletics to complete sweep

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on Aug 2, 2026

Published in Baseball

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SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The Detroit Tigers came to Sacramento last August and were unceremoniously and convincingly swept by the Athletics. It triggered a run of eight losses in nine games on the way to blowing a double-digit lead in the AL Central Division.

Different year. Different outcome.

Still reeling from the late-night trade of ace Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Tigers, on an oppressively hot Sunday afternoon with the temperature hitting 100 degrees, completed the sweep of the Athletics, 11-0, at Sutter Health Park.

The Tigers exploited the command issues of lefty starter Gage Jump, turning six walks into six runs in the first four innings.

Spencer Torkelson, who grew up in nearby Petaluma, Calif., started the scoring with a two-out, two-run double in the first inning. He added an RBI single in the eighth, too, going 7 for 14 with four RBIs in the series.

In the fourth, rookies Max Clark (who walked twice) and Ben Malgeri walked with one on the fourth and Zach McKinstry singled to load the bases.

Gleyber Torres singled in two runs. Jump was pulled after walking Kevin McGonigle with two outs, reloading the bases.

Rookie Eduardo Valencia greeted reliever Elvis Alvarado, a former Tigers’ farmhand, with a two-strike, two-out, two-run double over the head of left fielder Tyler Soderstrom.

Valencia keyed a four-run eighth inning with a two-run double. The Tigers cashed in two walks and a hit-by-pitch in that inning against lefty Ben Bowden.

James Outman, who entered the game in the seventh for defense, capped the scoring with his fifth homer, hitting off outfielder (position player pitching) Carlos Cortes.

That was more support than right-hander Keider Montero needed.

Mixing changeups and sliders with firm, 94-mph sinkers and four-seamers, he cruised through six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and just one runner in scoring position.

He didn’t miss a beat even after home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak had to leave the game with one out in the fifth after taking a foul ball square off his mask. After a lengthy delay, in which the entire team came off the field and sat in the cooler confines of the dugout, he came back out and finished that inning and spun a clean, two-strikeout sixth.

At 54-58, the Tigers came out of the game six games behind in the Central Division and 2 1/2 back of the final wild-card spot.

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