Mark Canha hit a solo home run in the first inning, Tarik Skubal pitched five innings without allowing any runs, and the Detroit Tigers went on to defeat the Minnesota Twins 8-2 on Friday night.
Canha, Spencer Torkelson, and Matt Vierling each contributed with two hits and two RBIs, helping Detroit secure the win with six runs scored between the fourth and sixth innings.
“This is the first game in a while that we got it rolling like that,” Canha commented. Despite striking out 15 times, Detroit managed to score the most runs they’ve had all season.
Skubal (2-0) only conceded two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.
“He was great,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch praised. “Everything that he did was vintage Tarik. He dominated the strike zone. His misses were near-misses. He was relentless at coming at guys.”
Skubal, however, was modest about his performance. “I didn’t have the best feel for the fastball, but the changeup kind of made up for it,” he admitted.
Pablo Lopez (1-2) allowed five runs on six hits and three walks over four innings, accumulating seven strikeouts in a 98-pitch effort.
“The batters were able to identify that I was missing my spot with my pitches, and they were letting me play me pitch,” Lopez analyzed. “My pitch count ran very high, which is not what I wanted to do, especially after having eight days’ rest.”
Minnesota struggled at the plate, with only six hits, including two doubles, and currently holds the lowest batting average in the majors at .184. They were unable to score until the ninth inning, with Kyle Farmer hitting an RBI double and Edouard Julien following with a run-scoring single.
Right-hander Michael Tonkin, who returned to Minnesota from the New York Mets to bolster the bullpen, had a tough outing, allowing two runs, two hits, and two walks in two innings in his first appearance for Minnesota since 2017.
Minnesota, last season’s AL Central champions, suffered their seventh loss in nine games. On the other hand, Detroit, aiming for their first playoff appearance in a decade, secured back-to-back victories for the first time since their 5-0 start to the season.
