KANSAS CITY, Mo. — — Tarik Skubal pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, the Tigers scored four times off Michael Wacha in the fifth inning, and Detroit went on to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-0 on Sunday in the rubber game of their three-game set.
Skubal (12-4) struck out four and walked one while bouncing back from his first loss in more than six weeks. Jake Rogers drove in two runs for Detroit, while Colt Keith and Gleyber Torres also drove in runs.
It was a crucial game between AL Central rivals. The Tigers began the day with a half-game lead over East-leading Toronto for the best record in the American League, while Kansas City had climbed within two games of Seattle in the wild-card race.
Wacha (8-11) was matching Skubal into the fifth, allowing a single baserunner while striking out four. But things suddenly went awry, beginning with a leadoff walk to Spencer Torkelson and a one-out single by Zach McKinstry.
Rogers followed with a fly ball that center fielder Tyler Tolbert badly misplayed, resulting in a two-run triple. Keith added a line drive that found a gap for a two-run double, and Torres a grounder that got through the infield to make it 4-0.
Wacha left after 4 2/3 innings. He was charged with four runs and four hits and a walk.
Rogers’ triple came after Tolbert misjudged his fly ball, which bounced off the wall and halfway back to the infield. Then in the seventh, Tolbert allowed Rogers’ routine fly ball to drop in left-center for a double.
Skubal had his 11th start with at least six innings and no runs allowed this season. That broke a tie with Denny McLain in 1969 for the most such starts in franchise history.
RHP Charlie Morton (9-10, 5.25 ER) starts for Detroit in the opener of a three-game series against the Mets on Monday.
RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.62) starts the opener of a three-game set against the Angels on Tuesday night.
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