Tarik Skubal delivered a dominant seven-inning performance and Spencer Torkelson crushed two home runs while driving in four runs as the Detroit Tigers rolled past the Los Angeles Angels 7-0 on Saturday night in Anaheim, California.
Skubal improved to 6-5 on the season, fanning nine batters without issuing a single walk. He surrendered just five hits and allowed only one runner to advance past first base before exiting after 87 pitches, 60 of which found the strike zone.
Colt Keith was a key contributor at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Kevin McGonigle also had a productive night, collecting two hits — including a double — and crossing the plate twice. Detroit has now won 11 of its last 14 games.
Los Angeles dropped its fourth consecutive game and has now lost 12 of its last 14 contests. Logan O’Hoppe went 2-for-4 for the Angels, who suffered their 61st loss of the season — the most in the major leagues.
Grayson Rodriguez, who came into the game with a 2-0 record and a 0.60 ERA in three previous career appearances against Detroit, was tagged with the loss. He gave up six runs on seven hits across four innings, walking one and striking out three.
The Tigers wasted no time, building a 4-0 lead right out of the gate in the first inning. McGonigle opened things up with a double to center field, and Dillon Dingler was hit by a pitch. Keith then singled to center to bring McGonigle home. After Riley Greene struck out, Torkelson launched a towering three-run shot 415 feet into left-center field.
Detroit kept the pressure on in the second inning, pushing the lead to 6-0. James Outman and McGonigle each singled to start the frame, and Dingler was again hit by a pitch to load the bases. Keith and Greene then delivered back-to-back sacrifice flies, plating Outman and McGonigle.
Torkelson put the finishing touch on the scoring in the fifth inning, leading off with his second home run of the night — his 18th of the season — a 420-foot blast over the center field fence off left-handed reliever Brent Suter to make it 7-0.
