DETROIT — Tarik Skubal struck out nine over five innings and Colt Keith hit a two-run homer to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-2 victory over the Athletics on Tuesday night.
Skubal (5-4) struck out the side in the first inning for the second time in his career and left after 96 pitches. The left-hander allowed five hits and walked two. His only blemish came on rookie Henry Bolte’s third homer, a leadoff shot in the third that cut it to 2-1.
Kevin McGonigle, headed to the All-Star Game as a rookie, drew an eight-pitch walk from J.T. Ginn (7-5) leading off the first and Keith hit his next pitch for his seventh homer and a lead the Tigers never relinquished. Detroit (41-50) has won three straight and six of its last seven games.
Kyle Finnegan pitched a scoreless sixth following Skubal, and Drew Anderson allowed Shea Langeliers’ RBI single for an unearned run in the seventh. Jacob Waguespack closed it out with two perfect innings.
Ginn left in favor of Jacob Lopez after allowing two runs on two hits in four innings.
Detroit broke it open with a four-run sixth after Lopez retired the first two batters.
Zach McKinstry drew a walk to start the rally and Spencer Torkelson singled to put runners on the corners. McKinstry scored when Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Lawrence Butler let pinch hitter Ben Melgeri’s pop-up in short right field fall between them for a double. Matt Vierling drove in two with a double and McGonigle added an RBI single for a 6-1 lead.
Lopez was charged with four runs on five hits for the Athletics, who have lost four straight and eight of nine.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch announced before the game that the team was parting ways with third base coach Joey Cora over “philosophical differences.”
Up next
Athletics LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-8, 5.79) starts Wednesday opposite Tigers RHP Troy Melton (4-1, 2.05).
