Corbin Carroll became the sixth left-handed hitter to homer off Tarik Skubal, and Zac Gallen and three Arizona relievers made that stand up for a 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Phoenix on Wednesday.
Carroll drove a 97 mph fastball over the fence in left-center for his second homer of the season as the second batter in the last of the first and enabled the Diamondbacks to complete a three-game sweep.
Two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Skubal (1-1) had given up one homer to a lefty in each of his first five seasons. Edouard Julien hit the only one in 2025.
Gallen (1-1) allowed four hits in six scoreless innings, with two strikeouts and no walks.
Jonathan Loaisiga got through the ninth for his first save. Kevin McGonigle singled to open the inning and Gleyber Torres grounded into a double play before Riley Greene doubled. Dillon DIngler bounced back to the mound to end it.
Left-hander Skubal gave up six hits in seven innings, with three strikeouts and no walks. He threw 87 pitches, 60 strikes, and touched 100 mph in getting Gabriel Moreno to ground into a double play in the sixth. He has given up 91 career homers.
Carroll had two of the D-backs’ six hits.
Kevin McGonigle had two hits for the Tigers, who have lost four straight.
Colt Keith was the only Tiger to reach second base in the first five innings, when he doubled off the top of the right field fence with two outs in the third. He was stranded when McGonigle hit a flyout.
The Tigers threatened in the sixth after McGonigle lined a one-out triple down the right field line. With the infield in, Torres hit a line drive to first baseman Jose Fernandez, whose throw to third doubled off McGonigle.
Fernandez, who became the seventh player in the modern era (since 1900) to hit two homers in his major league debut Monday, made his first start at first base after playing third Tuesday.
Carroll has homered off six Cy Young winners, including two in this series, after hitting a three-run shot off Justin Verlander in the Diamondbacks’ 9-6 victory Monday.
–Field Level Media
