Detroit Tigers sweep Reds in 5-1 win behind Tarik Skubal's elite performance
CINCINNATI — Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal turned his back to the batter and unleashed a scream.
That's how Skubal reacted to striking out Austin Wynns swinging with one of his trademark changeups to strand a runner at second base in the seventh inning, holding a one-run lead.
It was his career-high 13th strikeout.
Skubal completed seven innings of one-run ball to anchor the Tigers in a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds in Sunday's series finale, completing a three-game sweep. The 27-year-old didn't allow a run until his final inning of work.
The Tigers (42-48) swept a series for the first time since sweeping the season-opening series in late March. Meanwhile, Skubal lowered his ERA to 2.37 in 18 starts.
He was nearly untouchable in his 18th start.
The Reds managed just three hits in seven innings against him, without a walk. The three hits: Wynns' double in the third inning, Will Benson's single in the sixth inning and Jeimer Candelario's double in the seventh inning.
Skubal generated 23 whiffs on 51 swings — 45.1% whiff rate — with 12 changeups, five fastballs and six sliders. The Reds missed on 12 of their 18 swings on Skubal's changeup, only putting two changeups in play.
He threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of 23 batters.
The only trouble occurred in the seventh inning, when Candelario slapped an up-and-away fastball down the right-field line for a double. The next batter, Spencer Steer, reached safely because of shortstop Zach McKinstry's fielding error on a routine ground ball, then a wild pitch advanced both runners in scoring position.
Candelario scored from third base on Noel Marte's groundout to McKinstry, cutting the Tigers' lead to 2-1. But Skubal refused to squander the lead by getting back-to-back outs, including the emotional strikeout of Wynns.
It was one of the best starts in Skubal's five-year MLB career.
Skubal joined 1968 World Series MVP Mickey Lolich, who pitched for the Tigers from 1963-75, as the only players in franchise history with an outing of 13 strikeouts, zero walks and no more than one run allowed.
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Tarik Skubal's run support
The Tigers scored one run in the fourth inning, one run in the seventh inning and three runs in the eighth inning.
McKinstry finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
He delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning and a two-run home run int he seventh inning. Colt Keith and Parker Meadows drove in the other two runs with RBI singles in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
Meadows — in third game since getting recalled from Triple-A Toledo — left the game in the eighth inning with an injury after getting thrown out trying to steal second base.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal dominates Reds in Detroit Tigers 5-1 victory
