Tarik Skubal pitched seven strong innings as the host Detroit Tigers blanked the Minnesota Twins for the second straight game, prevailing 5-0 on Wednesday.
Harold Castro and Jonathan Schoop drove in two runs apiece, and Detroit’s Willi Castro had two hits and two runs.
Skubal gave up just two hits and a walk while striking out six. He hasn’t allowed a run in four of his past five starts, and he has yielded no earned runs in six of his 10 starts this season.
Skubal (4-2) had his roughest outing of the season against Minnesota when he allowed six runs (five earned) in five innings during an April 28 loss. In the rematch, the left-hander dominated a lineup filled with right-handed hitters.
Detroit’s Joe Jimenez struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect eighth inning. Will Vest pitched the ninth to finish off the shutout for the Tigers, who have won three of the first four games in the five-game series.
Twins starter Bailey Ober (1-2) gave up five runs and nine hits in six innings. He fanned four without issuing a walk.
Minnesota managed only two hits on Wednesday after amassing just three on Tuesday.
Skubal got into a little trouble in the first inning when Jorge Polanco blooped a two-out single and Gio Urshela walked. Skubal then struck out Trevor Larnach.
The Tigers grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the inning. Castro led off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Schoop singled up the middle to score the first run.
Detroit extended its lead to 5-0 in the fifth. Jeimer Candelario smashed a triple off the right-center-field wall to get the big inning started. Tucker Barnhart’s infield single knocked in Candelario.
One out later, Willi Castro hit a single and Harold Castro followed with a double to left, bringing home both runners. Schoop finished off the outburst with a run-scoring, ground-rule double.
The teams will complete the series with a Thursday afternoon matinee. After the Twins won the first five meetings between the American League Central rivals this season, the Tigers have taken four of the past five matchups.
–Field Level Media
