Detroit Tigers erupt for eight runs in fifth to back Tarik Skubal in 10-2 win over Brewers
The Detroit Tigers' bats finally woke up in Sunday's fifth inning, as they posted eight runs at Comerica Park on Sunday.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal continued his American League Cy Young Award campaign with another dominant performance, lowering his ERA to 1.92 in 13 starts, but thanks to the eight-run outburst, the Tigers left no doubt about the result of the game.
The Tigers beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 10-1, in Sunday's finale of the three-game series, avoiding the sweep and snapping a three-game losing streak.
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Skubal, who reached 10 strikeouts for the second time this season, allowed one run on five hits and two walks across 6⅔ innings, throwing 95 pitches.
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The Tigers (32-33) delivered their big fifth inning against right-hander Bryse Wilson and left-handed reliever Hoby Milner, building upon a 2-0 lead in the first inning from Riley Greene's RBI double and Justyn-Henry Malloy's sacrifice fly.
Eight batters reached safely in the fifth, with half of them driving in runs.
Gio Urshela hit a two-RBI single off Wilson's down-and-in sinker, Zach McKinstry hit a two-RBI single off Miller's down-and-away sweeper, and Andy Ibáñez hit an RBI single off Miller's middle-middle sinker, all before Jake Rogers hit a three-run home run to right field for a 10-0 advantage.
Rogers, a right-handed hitter who has five homers this season, pushed a sweeper from Miller — located middle-away but outside of the strike zone — to the opposite field.
Facing the Tigers, Wilson allowed seven runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 4⅓ innings.
Miller, meanwhile, never recorded an out in his 13-pitch appearance, forcing the Brewers to use right-handed reliever Elieser Hernández for the final two outs in the fifth inning.
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Skubal diving
Skubal needed just 11 pitches to retire the first three batters.
All three batters struck out: Joey Ortiz (looking, 95.9 mph fastball), Rhys Hoskins (swinging, 86.7 mph changeup), Christian Yelich (swinging, 88.9 mph changeup).
Skubal worked around two singles in the second inning, two walks in the fourth inning, a single and a hit by pitch in the sixth inning before the Brewers finally scored with a single and a triple in the seventh inning.
In that inning, Jackson Chourio hit an infield single, and with two outs, Brice Turang bounced a triple down the first-base line that rolled into the right-field corner. The ball traveled long enough for Chourio to score easily from first base.
The RBI triple from Turang — which bounced past first baseman Mark Canha — trimmed the Brewers' deficit to 10-1 and ended Skubal's outing after 95 pitches. (The Brewers cut their deficit to 10-2 with a run off right-handed reliever Mason Englert in the ninth inning.)
Skubal generated 17 whiffs on 43 swings — a 39.5% whiff rate — with five fastballs, seven changeups, three sliders and two sinkers. His fastball averaged 96.2 mph, topping out at a career-high 101.7 mph on a foul in the third inning.
The Brewers had an 85.3 mph average exit velocity on 14 balls in play.
Making plays
Center fielder Matt Vierling robbed Jake Bauers of a solo home run to open the eighth inning.
Bauers hit a fastball from left-handed reliever Joey Wentz, sending the ball 395 feet to right-center field, but Vierling jumped at the wall, stuck his glove beyond the wall and caught the ball.
Left fielder Riley Greene also had a spectacular catch in the fourth inning to save Skubal from at least one run. Chourio hit a line drive to left field with runners on the corners and two outs, but Greene dove to his right and caught the ball.
Skubal screamed in celebration after Greene's catch.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers avoid sweep with 10-2 rout of Milwaukee Brewers
