Tarik Skubal pitched for seven innings while his name continued to come up in trade talks, and Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a two-run home run, helping the Detroit Tigers to an 8-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.
Skubal (11-3) allowed a career-high 10 hits but limited the Guardians to just one run despite facing numerous early challenges. He became the first Tigers pitcher since Nate Robertson in 2008 to give up 10 or more hits while allowing one run or less.
“They’re a strong team,” Skubal commented. “They’ve won 59 games for a reason. They don’t strike out much, put the ball in play, create opportunities, and get runners in scoring positions. My job was to induce contact and I think I did well with that.”
The Tigers have excelled in July with a league-best 12-5 record.
The recent success has coincided with Skubal and fellow starter Jack Flaherty being mentioned in trade discussions as the July 30 deadline approaches.
“This is about team effort,” Skubal emphasized. “We’re playing solid all-around baseball—defending well, delivering clutch hits, and pitching effectively. It speaks volumes about the guys in our clubhouse.”
When asked if their recent performance could influence the front office’s decisions, Skubal remained focused on the team’s daily objectives.
“We don’t have control over what they decide,” he said. “Our focus is on winning today’s game and then tomorrow’s. That’s all I have to say about that.”
Malloy’s home run in the first inning off Carlos Carrasco (3-8) set the tone as the Tigers secured their fourth win in five games against the AL Central leaders.
Cleveland has now lost three consecutive games and has a 2-7 record since July 10. The teams are scheduled to face each other five more times over the next eight days.
The Guardians struggled to generate offense and failed to capitalize on opportunities against Skubal. Steven Kwan, who leads the majors in batting average, popped up with the bases loaded in the second inning and struck out with two runners on base in the fourth.
