Tigers Have Plenty to Smile About After Win Over Twins
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The Detroit Tigers continue their hot stretch in June, taking their third series in a row, this time beating their AL Central foe, the Minnesota Twins, in two of three games at Comerica Park. The homestand brought many to the ballpark and had almost everyone involved leaving with a smile.
The smiles were the biggest on several Tigers players in the victory on Thursday afternoon as performances were impressive all around. Perhaps the two biggest smiles, however, came from starting pitcher Keider Montero and third baseman Colt Keith.
Keider Montero's Shutout Performance
For starters, Montero has been one of the best things to come from the Tigers' starting rotation this season. Having not made the team out of spring training, Montero has made it very difficult for anyone trying to pull him back from a spot in the rotation when a handful of reinforcements return.
Going 6.1 innings, allowing four hits, walking one, and striking out four across his shutout outing, Montero continues to step up to the challenge, perform, and impress manager A.J. Hinch and the rest of the faithful fans in the Motor City.
What made Montero settle into his outing was all the home runs the Tigers' offense hit, finishing the game with six long balls, including one that was long overdue for Detroit infielder Colt Keith.
Keith Gets the Silent Treatment
After flirting with his first home run multiple times this season, Keith finally sent out his first longball of 2026, padding the Tigers' lead. Rounding the bases, Keith couldn't help but smile ear to ear, as it looked like a ton of relief was lifted off his shoulders.
Once he got into the dugout, his teammates all sat on the bench, forcing Keith to air high-five his teammates who were giving him the silent treatment, something players do to rookies when they hit their first home run of the season. It didn't take the rest of the team long to jump off the bench to celebrate with Keith.
"I've been dreaming about that one for a couple of months," Keith said in his postgame interview via Detroit's broadcast, reflecting on his home run.
🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/yoplLzYujZ
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 11, 2026
Momentum is on Detroit's side (winners of three series in a row), as they hit the road to take on the Cleveland Guardians, the team that swept them the first time they met this season at Comerica Park. The Tigers are getting Tarik Skubal back on the mound on Saturday and potentially Casey Mize on Sunday.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.