Mark Canha slammed a grand slam during a seven-run second inning, while Kerry Carpenter hit two home runs as the Detroit Tigers secured an 8-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.
“That’s just what we’re capable of,” remarked first baseman Spencer Torkelson, who extended his hitting streak to six games with a single.
Tarik Skubal (5-0) allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings. Cristian Javier (2-1) gave up seven runs on five hits and four walks in just 1 1/3 innings.
“He didn’t have his best command and we took full advantage of that,” Torkelson commented.
Javier made his first start since being placed on the injured list due to neck discomfort nearly a month ago. “I was really anxious going out there and competing,” he admitted. “It had been a while since I’ve gone out there and pitched.”
The Tigers loaded the bases against Javier in the crucial second inning, and then he walked Riley Greene, allowing the first run. Shortly after, Canha capitalized on a changeup, hitting a 393-foot shot over the left-field fence.
“The at-bats before his have to be good to have that moment,” noted Detroit manager A.J. Hinch.
Carpenter’s two-run homer extended Detroit’s lead to 7-0 and marked the end of Javier’s challenging outing.
“I went a very long time without being able to pitch, not able to compete,” Javier acknowledged. “That’s why I was struggling.”
