Tarik Skubal put together what may have been his finest start of the season Friday night — and possibly his last at home in Detroit — striking out a season-best 12 batters across 7 1/3 innings as the Tigers narrowly defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1.
Skubal, who will be a free agent after this season, has been at the center of widespread speculation about whether Detroit will trade him before the August 3 deadline. The two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner improved to 7-5 on the year, surrendering just one run and four hits while issuing two walks. Kenley Jensen closed things out by retiring the final three batters for his 12th save in 16 opportunities.
Kansas City’s Noah Cameron pitched well in a losing effort, holding Detroit to two hits, striking out eight and walking three over seven innings. However, the damage was already done — opener Beck Way (1-1) had surrendered two runs in the very first inning. The Royals’ only run came in the fourth, when Salvador Perez led off with a double to the opposite field and eventually crossed the plate on a two-out double by Nick Loftin.
Yankees 1, Phillies 0
Cam Schlittler was nearly untouchable in Philadelphia, fanning 12 batters over 7 1/3 innings as New York shut out the Phillies in the opening game of a weekend series. Schlittler (10-6) surrendered just three hits and issued no walks, dropping his ERA to 2.07 and pushing his American League-leading strikeout total to 157. Philadelphia’s Jesus Luzardo (9-5) was equally sharp, allowing just one run and three hits over seven innings, but a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt — his first in 19 games — proved to be the difference.
Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 4
Boston bounced back in its first game following the end of a 15-game winning streak, with Romy Gonzalez delivering a pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth inning to ignite a two-run rally against Toronto. Gonzalez’s shot into the left field corner scored Jarren Duran from first base with the go-ahead run, and Anthony Seigler capped a 4-for-5 performance with a wall-ball double off Toronto reliever CJ Van Eyk (0-1). Seigler, batting leadoff, scored twice, drove in two runs, hit a homer, and recorded two doubles — falling just a triple short of the cycle. Garrett Whitlock (6-1) earned the win in relief, and Aroldis Chapman recorded his 391st career save, moving into sole possession of ninth place on the all-time list.
Braves 7, Orioles 6
Matt Olson launched a three-run home run with two outs in the 10th inning to lift visiting Atlanta past Baltimore in the first game of a three-game series. Drake Baldwin’s 20th homer of the season, a game-tying blast in the eighth, set the stage for Atlanta’s comeback. Elieser Hernandez, making his first major league appearance since 2024, tossed three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win — his first big-league victory since 2022. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, playing just his fifth game with Baltimore, drove in four runs, including two on a 10th-inning homer, but the Orioles’ late charge fell short. Andrew Kittredge (1-2) took the loss, though none of the four runs he allowed were earned.
Dodgers 4, Mets 2
Roki Sasaki delivered his best outing in two months, striking out nine and allowing just one run over seven innings as Los Angeles defeated New York. Sasaki (4-5) matched his season high by going seven innings for the third time this year. Kyle Tucker went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the eighth to give the Dodgers some cushion. Freddie Freeman went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and Shohei Ohtani added a sacrifice fly in the seventh that gave Los Angeles its first lead of the game. Luis Robert Jr. and Francisco Alvarez each hit solo home runs for the Mets, who managed only four hits.
Astros 9, White Sox 5
Houston erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning to erase a five-run deficit and beat Chicago for its fourth consecutive victory. Christian Walker’s three-run double was the centerpiece of the big inning, while Cam Smith added a two-run homer and LaMonte Wade Jr. drove in a pair. Reliever Kai-Wei Teng (5-6) picked up the win despite allowing two runs over two innings. Braden Montgomery had three hits and an RBI for Chicago, which had won seven of its previous nine games. Bryan Hudson (3-3) was roughed up for four runs on three hits in just two-thirds of an inning.
Rangers 5, Mariners 4
Jake Burger belted a two-run homer and added a tiebreaking single as Texas edged visiting Seattle in the opener of a four-game series in Arlington. Wyatt Langford also went deep for the Rangers, and Peyton Gray (5-0) tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts to earn the win. All-Star Jacob Latz worked the ninth for his 20th save, though he allowed a run to make it a one-run game. Seattle starter Bryce Miller (4-5) was charged with five runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander, who is from nearby Mount Pleasant, Texas, fell to 0-4 in six career starts against the Rangers.
Reds 4, Cardinals 2
Eugenio Suarez connected on a two-run homer in the seventh inning to propel Cincinnati to a win in St. Louis. Sal Stewart and Tyler Stephenson each had two hits and an RBI for the Reds, who have now won three in a row. Julian Garcia (1-2) retired the only batter he faced to earn the victory, and Emilio Pagan was perfect in the ninth for his 10th save. Blaze Jordan hit a two-run double for St. Louis, which has dropped six of its last seven games. Cardinals reliever George Soriano (3-3) gave up two runs in his only inning of work.
Giants 7, Angels 6 (10 innings)
Rafael Devers delivered a walk-off hit in the 10th inning that bounced over the left field fence, giving San Francisco a dramatic win over Los Angeles in the first game of a three-game series. Devers had already homered earlier in the game before coming to the plate in the 10th with the bases loaded and one out against Angels reliever Chase Silseth (3-2). Although the ball bounced into the bleachers, Devers was credited with only a single, and automatic runner Jesus Rodriguez scored the winning run. Caleb Kilian (3-6) earned the victory after pitching a scoreless top of the 10th. Casey Schmitt also homered for the Giants — a three-run shot in the third inning, his 21st of the season, that gave San Francisco a 5-1 lead.
Rockies 5, Brewers 2
Tomoyuki Sugano turned in 5 1/3 solid innings to lead visiting Colorado past Milwaukee in the opener of a three-game series. Sugano (10-4) scattered six hits and allowed two runs — both on solo home runs — while striking out five and walking one. The outing improved him to 6-0 over his last seven starts. Kyle Karros and TJ Rumfield each had two hits and an RBI for Colorado. Christian Yelich and Brice Turang went deep for Milwaukee, which suffered just its second loss since the All-Star break. Shane Drohan (5-4) allowed five runs on six hits in six-plus innings.
Diamondbacks 3, Nationals 2
Gabriel Moreno’s seventh-inning sacrifice fly provided the go-ahead run as visiting Arizona beat Washington for its fourth consecutive victory and sixth in seven games. Moreno and Tim Tawa each finished with two hits and an RBI. Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3) allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings for Arizona. Dylan Crews hit a two-run homer for Washington, which had won three of four. Bulk reliever Zack Littell (7-8) gave up a run on four hits over five innings, and opener Carson Palmquist was charged with two runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Padres 4, Marlins 2
Luis Rengifo came off the bench to hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting visiting San Diego past Miami in the opener of a three-game series. Manny Machado had two hits, an RBI and a run scored, and Ty France also recorded two hits for the Padres, who avoided falling four games under .500 for the first time this season. Starter German Marquez was pulled after just 2 1/3 innings and 37 pitches, having allowed one run and three hits. Joe Mack and Heriberto Hernandez each homered for Miami, which has now dropped 10 games in a row.
Cubs 3, Pirates 2 (10 innings)
Dansby Swanson delivered an RBI single in the 10th inning to give visiting Chicago a win over Pittsburgh. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a solo homer and had two of the Cubs’ six hits. Caleb Thielbar (3-2) retired the side in order in the ninth, and Gavin Hollowell allowed a run in the 10th before nailing down his first save of the season. Henry Davis had an RBI single for Pittsburgh, and Jake Mangum and Ryan O’Hearn each finished with two hits. Yohan Ramirez (6-3) surrendered both Cubs runs in the 10th.
Rays 11, Guardians 3
Ryan Vilade hit a two-run homer and Richie Palacios added a three-run blast as Tampa Bay opened a three-game series against Cleveland with an 11-3 victory in St. Petersburg. Shane McClanahan (9-6) allowed just one run on two hits over five innings, walking two and striking out three on 71 pitches. Chris Roycroft closed the game with three scoreless innings for his first career save. Nick Fortes went 4-for-4 with two RBIs as the Rays won for the fourth time in five games. Austin Hedges hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Cleveland, which was outhit 15-7 and lost its third straight.
Athletics 2, Twins 0
Jacob Lopez and four relievers combined on a two-hit shutout as the Athletics held off Minnesota in Minneapolis. Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom each drove in one run for the A’s, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Lopez (5-4) allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings, and Hogan Harris worked a clean ninth inning for his eighth save. Austin Martin doubled and Ryan Jeffers singled for the Twins’ only hits. Zebby Matthews (4-8) gave up two runs on three hits over six innings.
