Keider Montero was one clean exchange away from escaping a fifth-inning jam, and instead watched a two-run lead disappear on a sequence of plays that will linger long after the final out.

Montero had been quietly effective through the first four innings, limiting the Cardinals to just a Jordan Walker single in the second and navigating trouble in the fourth — a Spencer Torkelson double with two outs — without surrendering a run. His sinker was generating soft contact early, and the Tigers' offense had staked him to a 2-0 lead on Kerry Carpenter's two-run homer in the third, a shot to center that scored Colt Keith.

That cushion looked comfortable enough heading into the fifth. It didn't last.

After a Nolan Gorman single and a walk to Thomas Saggese put two runners on, Nathan Church grounded sharply to Torres at second — exactly the double play ball Montero needed. Torres fielded it cleanly and fired to Báez at second, but Báez was pulled off the bag from the throw by Torres. One out instead of two, bases now loaded, and Nolan Gorman ninety feet from tying the game.

Pedro Pagés made them pay immediately, lining an RBI single to left to cut Detroit's lead to 2-1. Detroit turned to Enmanuel De Jesus to try and stop the bleeding, but the reliever made things immediately worse. With the bases still loaded and one out, Victor Scott II laid down a sacrifice bunt, and De Jesus's throw was wild, allowing Church to score from third and knotting the game at two.

De Jesus then couldn't strand what was left of the mess he'd inherited and helped create. Iván Herrera greeted him with a two-run single to right, plating Pagés and Scott to give St. Louis a 4-2 lead that swung on that one botched transfer at second in the heart of the inning.

The Tigers came back in the bottom of the sixth. Detroit strung together enough to make it a one-run game. Dillon Dingler drew a leadoff walk, and Parker Meadows followed with a ground ball single to right that sent Dingler all the way to third. Meadows then swiped second, putting two runners in scoring position. Spencer Torkelson drew another walk to load the bases, and Javier Báez with a sacrifice fly to right, bringing Dingler home to make it 4-3. 

The Cards brought in a lefty in JoJo Romero and Hinch went to the bench, using Jahmai Jones for Colt Keith. Jones grounded into what look like an inning ending double play but Saggese mishandled the throw but it didn't come back to haunt St. Louis as Torres grounded out to end the bases loaded threat. 

Montero's final line was four innings, three hits, three runs, two of which were earned, one walk and three strikeouts. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Parker Meadows flied out to start the inning and after Torkelson walked for the third time, the Tigers could not capitalize as Baez and Jones both struck out to end the threat. 

The Tigers will now start a four game series in Minnesota starting on Monday. 

All five runs scored by the Cardinals all came without an extra base hit. 

A good stat pull from Evan Woodbery of Mlive.com on Kerry Carpenter for Easter Sunday, 

Kerry Carpenter on Easter:

2024: 2-for-4, HR

2025: 3-for-4, RBI

2026; HR, 2 RBI

Matt Vierling would later pinch hit for him in the seventh.