Tarik Skubal tossed seven shutout innings, Wenceel Perez had a two-run double and the streaking Detroit Tigers edged the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Tuesday afternoon.
Skubal (18-4) limited the Rays to two hits and one walk while striking out seven. Beau Brieske pitched the last two innings to notch his first save.
Detroit (83-74) has won seven of its past eight and sits tied with the Kansas City Royals for the second and third wild cards in the American League. The Royals beat the Washington Nationals 1-0 on Tuesday. The Tigers and Royals hold a two-game lead on the Minnesota Twins, who lost 4-1 to Miami, and a 2 1/2-game edge on the Seattle Mariners, who were beaten 4-3 by the Houston Astros.
Brandow Lowe homered for the Rays (78-79), who had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Rays starter Ryan Pepiot (8-7) gave up two runs and three hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out six. Rays reliever Mason Montgomery struck out all six batters he faced.
Perez walked with one out in the fourth. Riley Greene followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Pepiot got out of the jam as Colt Keith fouled out and Spencer Torkelson struck out.
Ben Rortvedt had a two-out hit in the fifth but Skubal then struck out Jose Siri. Detroit broke through in the bottom of the inning.
Pepiot got into trouble by walking Trey Sweeney with one out. Jake Rogers singled to put runners on first and second. Parker Meadows drew a walk to load the bases.
Kerry Carpenter was retired on a shallow flyout, but Perez then won a nine-pitch battle against Pepiot by lining a ground-rule double to right.
Skubal’s day ended with a 97-mph fastball to strike out Christopher Morel. In the bottom of the inning, Montgomery struck out Sweeney, Rogers and Meadows.
Brieske easily set down the Rays in the eighth, inducing a popout before striking out pinch hitter Richie Palacios and Siri. Montgomery kept firing away in the bottom of the inning, fanning pinch hitter Matt Vierling, Perez and Greene.
Jonathan Aranda, who had homered in each of his previous three games for the Rays, popped out leading off the ninth. Yandy Diaz fouled out.
Brandon Lowe then ended the shutout bid with his 21st home run over the right field wall off Brieske. Pinch hitter Josh Lowe struck out to end the contest.
–Field Level Media
