In St. Petersburg, Florida, Tarik Skubal displayed his pitching dominance by striking out nine hitters across six scoreless innings, while Mark Canha and Parker Meadows contributed home runs, propelling the Detroit Tigers to a decisive 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night. The Tigers continued their impressive road form, boosting their away record to 9-3 for the season.
Skubal extended his winning streak to seven consecutive decisions, dating back to September, limiting the Rays to just three hits in his outstanding performance. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch commended Skubal’s aggressive pitching style, especially when provided with a lead, highlighting his effectiveness within the strike zone. Skubal’s ERA dropped from 2.28 to 1.82 following this standout outing, marking his first career start with six or more scoreless innings, nine or more strikeouts, and no walks.
Despite José Caballero adding a home run in the eighth inning for the Rays, it wasn’t sufficient as they struggled to produce offense against Skubal’s pitching prowess. Rays manager Kevin Cash acknowledged Skubal’s impressive fastball and noted the Tigers’ assertive approach at the plate throughout the game.
Canha initiated the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning, while Javier Báez contributed an RBI single in the second, allowing the Tigers to establish an early 3-0 lead. Canha later drove in another run with a single in the fifth inning, followed by Meadows extending the lead with a solo homer in the sixth inning.
On the pitching side, Zack Littell started for the Rays but endured a challenging outing, conceding six runs, five earned, and eight hits over six innings. Despite Amed Rosario extending his hitting streak to 14 games, the Rays’ offense struggled, with All-Star Randy Arozarena continuing to face difficulties at the plate.
The Rays also grappled with several injury setbacks, including center fielder Jose Siri’s return to the lineup after undergoing tests for a kidney stone, closer Pete Fairbanks being placed on the 15-day IL due to nerve-related issues, and pitcher Taj Bradley scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham.
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