Cubs rout Tigers 11-2 as Valdez struggles

Framber Valdez was pulled after a disastrous 0.2-inning start in which he surrendered six earned runs and left the Tigers in an 11-2 hole to the Cubs, with 42 pitches in the first frame and a string of baserunners from the opening at-bats. The collapse left Detroit’s bullpen exhausted and their playoff push stalled, as the Cubs capitalized on a wind-influenced night and Valdez’s worst outing of the season following his bereavement leave.