Tigers 4-2 Royals (September 18, 2024) Match Report

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Tarik Skubal allowed three hits in five innings to earn his 17th win as the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Wednesday night to move within a half-game of a playoff spot with 10 games to go.

Riley Greene hit a home run that put the Tigers (80-73) ahead and gave them their fourth straight win and ninth in the last 11 games. With the series victory, Detroit won for the 25th time in 35 games and moved within a half-game of Minnesota (80-72), which now holds the third AL wild-card spot.

Skubal (17-4), who has won his last five decisions, bolstered his chances for the AL Cy Young Award by catching Atlanta's Chris Sale at the major league level in wins and lowering his AL-leading earned run average to 2.48. He allowed one walk and struck out seven times.

Skubal has struggled against the Royals in the past and came into Wednesday's game with a 2-9 record and a 5.05 ERA in 12 starts in 14 appearances. After allowing three hits and Yuli Gurriel's RBI single with two outs in the first inning, he threw four hitless innings.

The Royals (82-71), who lost for the fourth straight year, were beaten at home for the first time this season and the third time overall. They remained 2 1/2 games behind Baltimore for the first wild-card spot and 1 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota for the second wild-card spot. The Orioles and Twins both lost the previous Wednesday.

Skubal struck out major league hitter Bobby Witt Jr. twice before hitting him with a pitch in the fifth inning. Witt, who on Tuesday became the first player in major league history to hit 30 home runs in multiple seasons and 30 steals in his first three seasons, broke Hal McRae's 1977 franchise record with his 87th extra-base hit of the season with a bloop double to lead off the eighth inning.

Salvador Perez, who finished with two hits, then brought Witt home with a single off reliever Brenan Hanifee. Sean Guenther defended the 4-2 lead with a double play and a fly out. Guenther got the first out of the ninth inning and Will Vest got the last two for his second save.

Royals starter Alec Marsh (8-9), who set a career-high with 11 strikeouts in his last start, lasted just 2 2/3 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks.

Greene hit a 427-foot home run to right, his 24th home run and the most of his career, to open the third inning. Trey Sweeney made it 4-1 later in the inning with a two-run double down the right field line.

Perez and Gurriel, who has a .385 batting average since being signed by the Atlanta Royals, each had two hits for the Royals.

TRAINING ROOM

Tigers: Rookie 3B Colt Keith is being evaluated day-to-day after re-injuring his right shoulder during Tuesday's game while attempting to jump on the field. He has had right shoulder problems for three consecutive seasons. He did not play Wednesday, but Tigers manager AJ Hinch said he would bat in the batting cage during the game. “It could have been a lot worse,” Hinch said. “The initial diagnosis is day-to-day, and that's the best we can say.”

Next

Tigers: Detroit has not yet announced a starter for Friday's series opener in Baltimore.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (13-7, 3.29) is scheduled to start the first home game of the series against San Francisco on Friday. Wacha is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in nine career starts against the Giants and 7-2 with a 2.87 ERA at home this season.

——

APMLB: