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Venezuelan Tigers deal with emotions after earthquake, deliver on mound
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- Venezuelan Tigers deal with emotions after earthquake, deliver on mound
Keider Montero kept his emotions in check on the mound until it all came out at the end of the seventh inning.
After putting the finishing touches on seven shutout innings to power the Tigers' 8-0 win over the Houston Astros on Friday, June 26 at Comerica Park, the Detroit Tigers pitcher flexed his arms and let out a guttural yell before stepping off the field for the final time.
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The stellar outing capped an emotionally taxing week for the 25-year-old right-hander. Montero, his fellow Venezuelans in the Detroit clubhouse and his countrymen across MLB have been filled with dread and worry since two earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday, June 24 .
Detroit Tigers pitcher Keider Montero (54) walks off the mound after pitching the seventh inning against Houston Astros at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, June 26, 2026.
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"It hasn't been easy the last couple of days," Montero said through team interpreter (and fellow Venezuelan) Carlos Guillen. "It has been tough for me to catch sleep. It's been hard for me. I try to stay away from social media, Instagram and X, because of course you will get something from there.
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"I tried to stay focused before the game. My mind went back to Venezuela while I was playing. It was not an easy thing, but we are strong and we are resilient."
Venezuela had reported more than 900 deaths as a result of the two quakes – 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude – with rescue crews still searching rubble as of Friday. The two earthquakes occurred within a minute of each other, leading to widespread destruction.
Montero came in laser-focused, with a "VZ" embroidered into the side of his Tigers hat representing his country. He said his family is OK after the earthquakes.
Montero did not allow an Astros hit until the fourth inning – the second time through the Astros lineup – and produced only weak contact consistently. On 22 batted balls against Montero, the Astros averaged an 83.1 mph exit velocity.
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Montero threw 35 sinkers and 24 four-seamers in a fastball-heavy approach. Two of his three strikeouts came against lefty slugger Yordan Alvarez , who sits near or at the top of most American League batting tables.
He gave up five hits across seven innings of work with just three strikeouts while walking one batter. He also benefitted from some clutch defensive plays behind him. After Houston had its first runner on via an error by shortstop Kevin McGonigle, Montero got the next batter to ground into a double play started by McGonigle. Following a single by fellow Venezuelan Jose Altuve in the fifth, Montero got yet another double play.
Houston had two runners reach in each of the sixth and seventh innings, but escaped both situations unscathed.
"All of those moments count and they were huge in keeping them down," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Enmanuel de Jesus (37) celebrates 8-0 win over Houston Astros at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, June 26, 2026.
Hinch called on another Tigers pitcher with "VZ" stitched into their cap, right-handed reliever Emmanuel De Jesus, to pitch the final two innings. De Jesus followed his countryman with two scoreless innings to complete the Tigers' first shutout since June 11.
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De Jesus said he has gained a new appreciation and perspective on the fragile nature of humanity this week.
"It was a holiday when everything happened," De Jesus said. "Enjoying the holidays and then hours later maybe you are trapped under construction or something. It made me think a lot about how lucky we are to be alive."
Hinch applauded his players' ability to perform their jobs while their minds are trapped back home. And that appreciation stretched to Venezuelans in the Astros' dugout, such as Altuve and bench coach Omar Lopez – who managed Venezuela (featuring Montero and De Jesus on the roster) to the World Baseball Classic championship in March.
Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) slides for second base against Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) during the fourth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, June 26, 2026.
"There are just so many connections in this game," Hinch said. "And our guys are handling their emotions well that I do not blame them one bit for spending the majority of their time trying to make sure their people are safe."
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De Jesus added that the Venezuelan players from the World Baseball Classic are all still active in a group chat together and have spent the last 48 hours checking on each other and figuring out ways to help out back home.
The earthquakes were not only an emotional shock, but a moment of tragedy that brought a nation of players who call each other brothers even closer.
"We've always been together, supporting each other all of the time," Montero said. "And it'll be the same for our families back home, supporting each other, being together in a union. Being united as much as we can because we are united, but we are now in these situations where we need it more."
Contact Jared Ramsey at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Venezuelan Tigers deal with emotions after earthquake, deliver on mound
