Spencer Torkelson supports Tarik Skubal with home run in Detroit Tigers' 3-1 win over Cubs
Tarik Skubal clapped to acknowledge the fans.
A sellout crowd of 40,132 cheered for him.
"Skub," they chanted.
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The reigning American League Cy Young winner dominated for the Detroit Tigers on Friday, June 6, leading them to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series at Comerica Park. He lost his scoreless streak at 21 innings in the sixth inning and fell short of completing the eighth inning, but he put the Tigers in a position to win.
And so they did, for the 42nd time this season.
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The Tigers (42-23) were saved by right fielder Kerry Carpenter with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, when Seiya Suzuki hit a fly ball off right-handed reliever Will Vest — who had just replaced Skubal — that kept carrying toward the wall.
Carpenter made a leaping catch to keep the Tigers ahead, 2-1.
The Cubs have a 39-24 record, dropping just behind the New York Mets in the National League.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jahami Jones — called up from Triple-A Toledo for his Tigers debut — came off the bench to pinch-hit for Carpenter against left-handed reliever Génesis Cabrera. On the first pitch he saw, Jones crushed a curveball for a solo home run to left-center field.
The Jones homer made it 3-1.
The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning, thanks to Spencer Torkelson's 15th home run in 62 games.
Torkelson fell behind 0-2 in the count, but he refused to chase three consecutive down-and-away curveballs, working a 3-2 count. On the sixth pitch, he hit a 97 mph fastball from right-hander Ben Brown to left-center field for a solo home run.
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Key hits from Gleyber Torres, Kyle Tucker
The Tigers and Cubs traded runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.
In the bottom of the fifth, Gleyber Torres hit an RBI single off Brown. He delivered the third two-out single in a row to put the Tigers ahead, 1-0: Javier Báez and Parker Meadows set the table, then Torres cashed in.
With that single, Torres increased his on-base percentage to .378 through 222 plate appearances, ranking 22nd among qualified MLB players — ahead of superstars such as Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, Trea Turner and Francisco Lindor.
In the sixth, the Cubs tied the game, 1-1.
Kyle Tucker hit an RBI double off Skubal's slider in a 3-1 count with one out in the sixth inning. It was the first run allowed by Skubal since the sixth inning May 20 against the St. Louis Cardinals, snapping a 21-inning scoreless streak.
The 21 scoreless innings in a row matched Skubal's career high.
For the Cubs, Brown allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts across seven innings, throwing 92 pitches. He entered with a 5.72 ERA — and lowered that mark to 5.37 in his 13th game (11th start) against the Tigers.
Brown primarily threw fastballs and curveballs.
Big break in fifth inning
The Tigers benefitted from a big break in the fifth inning.
The Cubs should've had runners on second base with no outs, but Pete Crow-Armstrong was thrown out on the bases. He rounded third base on Dansby Swanson's double to left field, then jammed on the breaks and retreated.
The Tigers caught him easily on his way back.
It seemed like a mistake from Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry, who waved Crow-Armstrong around third base before suddenly throwing up the stop sign way too late.
Berry, now 40, played 94 games for the Tigers in 2012, stealing 21 bases in 21 attempts. He also hit .258 with 10 doubles, three triples and two home runs, helping the Tigers reach the World Series, where they lost to the San Francisco Giants.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Spencer Torkelson supports Tarik Skubal with home run in Detroit Tigers' 3-1 win over Cubs
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