Urquidy returns from Tommy John surgery, Tigers beat Marlins 2-0 and tie for lead with 17th shutout

MIAMI (AP) – José Urquidy got four outs in his return from Tommy John surgery, combining with three other pitchers to lead Detroit over the Miami Marlins 2-0 Sunday as the Tigers tied Pittsburgh for the major league lead with their 17th shutout this season.

Detroit took advantage of three errors by Miami on a single ball in the second inning, scoring both runs and going on to stop a three-game losing streak.

Urquidy, a 30-year-old right-hander, had Tommy John surgery for the second time in June 2024 and signed a $1 million, one-year contract with the Tigers in March following five seasons with Houston.

He relieved Keider Montero (5-3) started the sixth and worked around Agustín Ramírez’s two-out single. Eric Wagaman singled leading off the seventh and Tommy Kahnle followed with one out. Urquidy threw 25 pitches, averaging 93 mph with his fastball.

Wil Vest followed Kahnle, who got five outs, and finished for his 21st save in 27 chances. After a single and walk put two on with out out, Vest retired Joey Wiener on a flyout and fell behind Javier Sanoja 3-1 before throwing a pair of called strikes with fastballs at the outside corner.

AL Central-leading Detroit, closing on its first division title since 2014, was outhit 7-4.

Montero allowed three hits in five innings.

Miami made three errors in the second as Detroit scored twice. With Spencer Torkelson on first, Colt Keith’s grounder to first went off Wagaman for the first error. Second baseman Máximo Acosta retrieved the ball in foul territory and threw wildly past third.

Left fielder Troy Johnston tried to run down the ball but it bounced off a fence, through his legs and past as Keith reached third. Keith scored on Dillon Dingler’s single.

Adam Mazur (0-4) allowed two unearned runs and one hit over six innings, retiring his final 11 batters.

Kahnle inherited two runners with one out in the seventh, when he retired Victor Mesa Jr. on a flyout and Javier Sanoja on a groundout.

Montero pitched his longest outing since throwing six innings against Tampa Bay on July 7.

Tigers: RHP Casey Mize (14-5, 3.83) starts Tuesday’s series opener against Cleveland and LHP Joey Cantillo (5-3, 3.36).

Marlins: RHP Eury Pérez (6-5, 4.67) starts Tuesday’s series opener at Colorado, which starts LHP Kyle Freeland (4-15, 4.97).