Tarik Skubal didn’t need much help, and the Tigers barely gave him any. That was enough.
Behind a sharp, 7 1/3-inning outing from Skubal and just enough early offense, Detroit edged the Royals 2-1 on Friday night to lock up at least a series tie after Thursday’s comeback win to open the four-game set.
The Tigers struck first and fast against Noah Cameron, who was opened by righty Beck Way. Detroit loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a Dillon Dingler hit-by-pitch, then Riley Greene launched a ball to left that looked like it might clear the bases.
Isaac Collins had other ideas, stealing the grand slam and turning it into a sacrifice fly. Hao-Yu Lee followed with a single up the middle that brought home Gleyber Torres and made it 2-0.
That was the whole offensive story for Detroit.
Kansas City answered in the fourth. Salvador Perez started the inning with a double and came around on Nick Loftin’s double to cut the lead to 2-1. Before that, the Royals had threatened in the third, putting runners on second and third after a double, a walk and a sacrifice bunt, but Skubal punched out the next two hitters to escape cleanly.
From there, he settled into full command. Through six innings, Skubal had thrown only 68 pitches, and Cameron was keeping the Tigers from stretching the lead, too, allowing only a few baserunners on a couple of hits and a couple of walks. Detroit had another chance in the sixth when Lee doubled off the right-centrefield wall with two outs, but Zack McKinstry lined out to left to end the inning.
Skubal came back out for the seventh and reached his season-high 12th strikeout, which also gave him 999 for his major league career. Kansas City again pushed into scoring position with two outs, but Skubal ended that threat with a harmless fly ball to center. After a fist-bump from AJ Hinch, he returned for the eighth and got the first out before handing the ball over.
His final line was excellent: 7 1/3 innings, four hits, one run, two walks and 12 strikeouts. He threw 68 strikes on 91 pitches, generated 25 swings-and-misses, and left with the kind of line that does the talking all by itself.
Brenan Hanifee followed with two groundouts in the eighth, and then Kenley Jansen handled the ninth. Jansen, who had escaped a jam in his previous outing, stayed in control here and finished off the Royals in order: Jac Caglianone flew out to center, Vinnie Pasquantino struck out swinging, and Nick Loftin popped up to Lee at second.
James Outman’s recent power note also stood out in the broader picture. Before his three-run homer on Thursday night, he had been 10-for-78 with an OPS of exactly .500. Even so, two of his previous three home runs for the Tigers had been three-run shots, and Thursday’s blast fit the pattern.
The Royals’ fourth-inning run was their first against Skubal in 20 2/3 innings.
On this day in 1983, George Brett homered for the Royals in the pine tar game, a moment that became famous for the bat controversy and Billy Martin’s delayed protest.
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Roberts appeal is easy to see even with his season interrupted by injury. He has long handled left-handed pitching well, and that kind of split could matter for a Tigers lineup looking for any edge it can find in a tight race. The question is whether Detroit thinks the upside is worth the risk, especially with a player whose availability has been limited and whose market would come with plenty of uncertainty attached. [Read more 🡒]