Dansby Swanson, an All-Star shortstop, hasn't provided a substantial spark for the Chicago Cubs in the second season of his seven-year contract, but in Tuesday's game, he helped the Cubs separate from the Detroit Tigers with a big swing in the sixth inning.

A solo home run to left-center field provided an important insurance run for the Cubs. The Tigers lost, 3-1, to the Cubs on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

Shortstop Javier Báez, who played for the Cubs from 2014-21, finished 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in his first game at Wrigley Field since the Cubs traded him to the New York Mets at the 2021 trade deadline.

As Báez struggled, the Cubs scored all three runs in the fifth and sixth innings against left-hander Bryan Sammons, who covered 4⅓ innings out of the bullpen.

The Tigers (61-65) controlled a one-run lead until two outs in the fifth inning, when Cody Bellinger turned on an up-and-in fastball for a two-run double to right field.

Bellinger was thrown out trying to turn a double into a triple, but two runners (reaching safely on a walk and a single) scored on Bellinger's line drive to put the Cubs in front, 2-1.

The Cubs tacked on for a 3-1 advantage with Swanson's solo home run off Sammons' middle-middle 90.8 mph fastball with two outs in the sixth inning. He hit the ball 387 feet to left-center field with a 107.1 mph exit velocity.

It was Swanson's 10th home run of the 2024 season.

He is coming off three seasons in a row with 20-plus home runs.

Sammons allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts across 4⅓ innings, throwing 72 pitches. Right-handed reliever Alex Faedo covered the first five outs of the game for the Tigers, working as an opener.

Spencer Torkelson, who finished 4-for-4 with three singles and one double, delivered his two-bagger in the top of the ninth inning, but the Tigers stranded him with three out in a row.

Báez struck out for the fourth time to end the game.

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The only run

The Tigers scored their lone run in the second inning.

It happened on three singles in a row from Torkelson, Jace Jung and Dillon Dingler.

The single from Dingler put the Tigers ahead, 1-0.

Assad allowed one run on six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in 5⅔ innings, throwing 95 pitches. After Dingler's leadoff triple in the fifth inning, Assad stranded him by striking out three batters in a row: Báez, Parker Meadows and Riley Greene.

In the sixth inning, Jung stranded runners on the corners when he struck out swinging against right-handed reliever Tyson Miller, who replaced Assad.

The Tigers finished 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Javier Báez strikes out four times in Detroit Tigers' 3-1 loss to Cubs