Detroit Tigers extend wildcard lead with 2-1 win over Tampa Bay Rays

Wenceel Pérez continued to fight.

The hard work paid off.

The 24-year-old faced nine pitches — part of 26 pitches in three meetings — with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning in his third at-bat against right-hander Ryan Pepiot. He fell behind by two strikes after the first two pitches, but refused to get a strikeout. On the ninth pitch, Pérez hit an inside cutter down the right field line for a ground-rule double.

The Detroit Tigers took a step closer to securing a wild-card spot in the American League with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, thanks to the contact skills of Pérez and the dominance of left-hander Tarik Skubal on the mound.

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Skubal, the American League's all but certain Cy Young winner, threw seven scoreless innings with two hits and one walk, six strikeouts and 103 pitches. The 27-year-old will be available if needed for the season finale on September 29 against the Chicago White Sox.

This time, Skubal received a standing ovation from the fans at Comerica Park. He thanked the fans for their support by clapping his glove with his left hand before walking to the team's dugout.