Earned this': What A.J. Hinch said after Tigers' important series win at Wrigley

A.J. Hinch highlighted Detroit’s sharp pitching and disciplined execution after the Tigers’ 5-1 rebound win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday. Following an ugly Tuesday blowout defeat, Detroit improved to 48-54 and took two of three games in the two-city road trip, finishing 4-2. The Tigers will return home Thursday to start a four-game series against the last-place Kansas City Royals, while remaining 6½ games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central and 4½ games behind the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card race. Hinch praised starters and game flow, saying they “threw the ball exceptionally well” beginning with Keider Montero, who expanded his pitch mix after a long at-bat with Seiya Suzuki. He also cited Hao-Yu Lee’s homer on a 3-0 count and explained the bullpen timing that led to Drew Sommers in the sixth. Hinch noted Gleyber Torres was rested in a preplanned move, keeping Lee in the lineup.