DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers started their week by beating the team with the best record in baseball.
The Tigers scored two runs in each of the first three innings en route to a 6-4 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night at Comerica Park.
The Tigers (14-9) and Padres (16-7) play twice more this week.
In the first, leadoff man Gleyber Torres singled off Padres starter Randy Vásquez and scored on Zach McKinstry’s triple. McKinstry scored on Colt Keith’s RBI single.
In the second, the Tigers took advantage of a walk and hit batter by Vásquez. Tomas Nido and Riley Greene had RBI base hits.
Vásquez was yanked after walking two batters to lead off the third inning. Torres delievered a two-out, two-run single off reliever Logan Gillaspie.
Tigers starter Keider Montero struggled with control but fought and survived a couple of potentially dangerous innings.
The Padres tagged him for four runs, including an unearned run in the third when Montero and catcher Tomas Nido got crossed up on a pitch call, allowing two runners to advance.
Montero also gave up a solo homer to Gavin Sheets in the fifth before exiting mid-inning in favor of lefty Brant Hurter.
Third baseman Jace Jung, recalled from Triple-A Toledo before the game, drew two walks in four plate appearances and handled every ball hit his way on defense.
McKinstry had a single, double and a walk in addition to his league-leading third triple.
After Hurter finished the fifth and pitched a scoreless sixth, reliever Brenan Hanifee blanked the Padres in the seventh and eighth. Will Vest earned his second save by preserving the two-run lead in the ninth.
The Tigers have now won 14 of 20 games since being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opening series of the season. They are 9-2 at home.
This story will be updated.
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Up next: The Tigers and Padres meet again on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m.
Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty (1-1, 2.53 ERA) will face Padres righty Nick Pivetta (3-1, 1.57).
Pivetta, 32, is in the first year of a four-year, $55 million deal with the Padres. He allowed just one hit over seven shutout innings in his first start with his new team on March 30 against the Braves.
This will be his third career start at Comerica Park. On Aug. 31 of last year with the Red Sox, he allowed two runs over six innings but took the loss against the surging Tigers.
