Barstool Bush
Predictions

Detroit Tigers at Chicago Cubs

By Bush StaffUpdated 30d ago·2 min read
Detroit TigersDET(47-54)
Chicago CubsCHC(57-44)
5—1
FINAL
123456789RHE
DET
010300001591
CHC
100000000140

Keider Montero and Colin Rea split a wild series wide open in the rubber match, and it wasn't close after the 4th inning. Montero came in riding a strong last outing and looked every bit the guy who shut down Houston back on June 26, while Rea never found a groove against a Detroit lineup that had already seen him once this year.

Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Tigers(47-54)
LWLWW
5
Cubs(57-44)
WLWWL
1
Best BetCubs -117
Postgame

Miss — Chicago's offense went cold and Rea got rocked, exactly the bear case playing out.

Pregame

The Cubs were the play here on paper — better record, home field, and a lineup that had just dropped 11 runs on this same pitching staff. It didn't hit; Chicago's bats disappeared and Rea couldn't hold the line. Still, banking on the deeper roster over a full season is the right process even when a single game bites you.

The Cubs' bats, which torched Detroit for 11 runs just a night earlier, went cold at the worst time. Chicago managed just 4 hits all game, and with bullpen pieces like Phil Maton and Daniel Palencia already on the shelf, there wasn't much margin for a Rea implosion to be covered up late.

Detroit Tigers
Keider Montero
(8-6)·3.17 ERA
Jun 26 vs Astros
W
7.0IP
0ER
3K
1BB
96P
07/22 Lineup
Chicago Cubs
Colin Rea
(8-8)·4.59 ERA
Jul 17 vs Twins
L
6.0IP
3ER
6K
1BB
91P
07/22 Lineup

Detroit's offense didn't need fireworks, just a clean 4th inning to bust the game open, and that's exactly what it got. It capped a series where both teams traded blowouts before the Tigers grabbed the last word.

Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
(47-54)
Jul 22L@ Cubs2-11
Jul 21W@ Cubs8-6
Jul 19L@ Angels2-3
Jul 19W@ Angels7-0
Jul 18W@ Angels2-1
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
(57-44)
Jul 22Wvs Tigers11-2
Jul 21Lvs Tigers6-8
Jul 19Wvs Twins10-1
Jul 18Wvs Twins6-2
Jul 18Lvs Twins2-5

The Tigers came into Wednesday having won 3 of their last 5, and Riley Greene's power surge from earlier in the series set the tone even after he wasn't the story in the finale. Detroit's rotation has taken hits all month, but Montero has quietly been one of the more reliable arms in a beat-up staff, and it showed again against a Cubs lineup that couldn't solve him.

Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
(13)
  • Day-To-DayCasey Mize (SP) — Mize is dealing with groin tightness and a wrist injury following his early departure from Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Angels, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/19
  • 15-Day-ILJack Flaherty (SP) — The Tigers placed Flaherty on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right flexor strain.07/22
  • 60-Day-ILJavier Baez (SS) — Baez (ankle) will embark on a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.07/20
  • 60-Day-ILJackson Jobe (SP) — Jobe (elbow) struck out three and allowed one unearned run on three hits and no walks across three innings Sunday in his rehab start with Double-A Erie.07/20
  • 60-Day-ILWill Vest (RP) — Detroit transferred Vest (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.07/19
  • 60-Day-ILBailey Horn (RP) — Horn (elbow) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/18
  • 60-Day-ILBurch Smith (RP) — Smith (shoulder) will start a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland on Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.07/17
  • 60-Day-ILJustin Verlander (SP) — Verlander (hamstring/hip) announced Wednesday via social media that he will retire following the 2026 season.07/08
  • 60-Day-ILWenceel Perez (RF) — Perez (orbital) played light catch on the field at Comerica Park on Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.07/07
  • 60-Day-ILParker Meadows (CF) — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Meadows (forearm) has yet to resume hitting and is without a timeline to return from the 60-day injured list, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.06/25
  • 60-Day-ILTrey Sweeney (SS) — Sweeney will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery this week, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.06/05
  • 60-Day-ILBrant Hurter (RP) — The Tigers placed Hurter on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to lumbar spine inflammation.05/29
  • 60-Day-ILReese Olson (SP) — The Tigers placed Olson on the 60-day injured list Tuesday after he underwent a right shoulder labral repair Feb. 2 that will result in him missing the 2026 season.05/08
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
(15)
  • Day-To-DayTrent Thornton (RP) — Thornton was removed from Monday's game against the Tigers after being struck on the left foot by a comebacker, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.07/21
  • 10-Day-ILMatt Shaw (RF) — Shaw is still feeling discomfort related to his left hand sprain and has yet to resume swinging a bat, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.07/18
  • 15-Day-ILPhil Maton (RP) — The Cubs placed Maton on the 15-day injured list Monday with right knee tendinitis, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.07/20
  • 15-Day-ILBen Brown (RP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Brown (neck) has begun to increase his activity and has taken part in workouts with plyometric balls, MLB.com reports.07/20
  • 15-Day-ILEthan Roberts (RP) — Roberts (forearm) tossed a perfect inning in a rehab appearance Sunday with Triple-A Iowa.07/20
  • 15-Day-ILDaniel Palencia (RP) — Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Palencia (elbow) is hopeful to return to the Cubs' bullpen in mid-August, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.07/18
  • 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera (SP) — Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that the Cubs expect Cabrera (hamstring) to return from the injured list in the second week of August, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.07/18
  • 15-Day-ILHoby Milner (RP) — Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Milner (abdomen) will likely return from the injured list sometime around Aug. 1, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.07/18
  • 15-Day-ILRiley Martin (RP) — The Cubs announced June 10 that Martin (elbow) has resumed playing catch, MLB.com reports.06/22
  • 60-Day-ILShelby Miller (RP) — The Cubs announced July 5 that Miller (elbow) has resumed a throwing program in Arizona, MLB.com reports.07/20
  • 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey (RP) — Manager Craig Counsell said July 8 that Harvey (triceps/shoulder) has resumed a throwing program at the Cubs' facility in Arizona, but the right-hander remains without a clear timeline for a return from the 60-day injured list, MLB.com reports.07/20
  • 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Steele (elbow) was cleared to begin ramping up his throwing program Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.07/08
  • 60-Day-ILPorter Hodge (RP) — The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILCade Horton (SP) — The Cubs transferred Horton (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTyler Austin (1B) — The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

Chicago's pitching depth is thinning at an inconvenient time, with Edward Cabrera, Hoby Milner and Justin Steele all working back from injury and Maton freshly added to that list. Detroit isn't exactly healthy either, having just lost Jack Flaherty to the IL with a flexor strain and already missing Justin Verlander, Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson for the year. Neither staff is at full strength, and it showed in how ragged both ends of this series got.

A 5-1 final with the Tigers scoring in 4 of 9 innings and the Cubs managing just 1 run tells the story: Detroit's lineup did just enough against Rea while Montero and the Tigers' bullpen slammed the door. Chicago still holds the better record and the division standing, but this series was a reminder that even a good team can get outplayed on a given week.

Sources

MLBDetroit TigersChicago CubsPolymarketKalshiKeider MonteroColin Rea