Tarik Skubal earns 17th win as Tigers beat Royals 4-2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tarik Skubal allowed three hits over five innings for his 17th win and the streaking 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 remaining.

Riley Greene hit a go-ahead home run as the Tigers (80-73) won their fourth straight and ninth in the last 11 games. With the series sweep, Detroit won for the 25th time in 35 games to move within a half game of Minnesota (80-72) for the third AL wild-card spot.

“These guys, first of all we believe, and second we come every day to try to win the game, and we are winning a lot, which is fun to watch these guys learn and grow and compete until the end of the game,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.

Skubal (17-4), who has won his last five decisions, made his case for the AL Cy Young Award stronger by matching Atlanta’s Chris Sale for the major league lead in wins and lowered his AL-leading earned run average to 2.48. He walked one and struck out seven.

“Really proud of the guys. Last time we came here we were on the other side of the sweep,” Skubal said. “We’ve got a great group, a resilient group. I mean if you just look at the season that we’ve had, I think it shows in this series.”

Skubal had struggled against the Royals in the past, entering Wednesday with a 2-9 record and 5.05 ERA in 12 starts over 14 appearances. After allowing three hits and Yuli Gurriel’s two-out RBI single in the first inning, he threw four hitless innings.

“We put some good at-bats on him early, but once he got the runs, five of the next six hitters were 0-2 counts. He’s coming after us,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Skubal. “But that’s how he pitches. He’s not picking at the corners. He’s got elite stuff and he knows it.”

Skubal screamed after striking out Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez with two on for his final out in the fifth.

“For me it’s always about executing pitches,” Skubal said. “If I can execute pitches at a high clip, I like my chances against anybody, no matter how many times they’ve seen me."

Hinch was happy to see his ace battle through 95 pitches though he wasn’t as sharp as his previous starts.

“It was a big fight for him, but he did a great job,” Hinch said. “Sometimes five is enough, and he did his job by getting the biggest out against his biggest nemesis and showed a ton of emotion. ... If he somehow isn’t able to make pitches to Salvy, who has been good against him, this game’s completely different. He’s our guy. We needed our guy to do his part, and he did."

The Royals (82-71), who lost their fourth straight, were swept for the first time at home 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. The Orioles and Twins both lost earlier Wednesday.

Skubal struck out major league batting leader Bobby Witt Jr. twice before hitting him with a pitch in the fifth. Witt, who became the first player in major league history with multiple seasons of 30 home runs and 30 steals in his first three seasons Tuesday, 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.

Perez then drove in Witt with a single off reliever Brenan Hanifee. Sean Guenther preserved the 4-2 lead with a double play and a fly out. Guenther got the first out of the ninth and Will Vest got the final two for his second save.

Royals starter Alec Marsh (8-9), coming off a career-high 11 strikeouts in his last start, lasted only 2 2/3 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks.

Perez and Gurriel, who is hitting .385 since the Royals acquired him from Atlanta, each had two hits for the Royals.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: Rookie 3B Colt Keith is day to day after reinjuring his right shoulder in Tuesday’s game on a diving attempt in the field. He has had a right shoulder problem in three straight seasons. He did not play Wednesday, but Hinch said he would hit in the batting cage during the game. “It could have been much worse,” Hinch said.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Detroit has not announced a starter for Friday’s series opener at Baltimore.

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

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Detroit Tigers' Jace Jung (17) beats the tag by Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez to score on a double by Trey Sweeney during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers' Jace Jung reacts after striking out with the bases loaded during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Alec Marsh throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers' Trey Sweeney watches his two-run double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez catches a fly ball for the out on Kansas City Royals' Tommy Pham during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. reacts after being hit by a pitch thrown by Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers' Jace Jung runs home to score on a double by Trey Sweeney during the third inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers' Jace Jung (17) beats the tag by Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez to score on a double by Trey Sweeney during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers' Jace Jung slides home to score on a double by Trey Sweeney during the third inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals center fielder Garrett Hampson catches a fly ball for the out on Detroit Tigers' Trey Sweeney during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-1 ACC) at No. 19 Louisville (2-0, 0-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Louisville by 10 1/2.

Series: Georgia Tech leads 2-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Georgia Tech resumes ACC play seeking to rebound and remain in league contention after losing 31-28 two weeks ago at Syracuse. The Yellow Jackets also seek their best five-game start since 5-0 in 2014. They also want their sixth win over a ranked ACC team under coach Brent Key, three weeks after upsetting then- No. 10 Florida State 24-21 in Dublin, Ireland. Louisville opens ACC play after a bye following routs of FCS Austin Peay and Jacksonville State by a combined 111-14 margin. The Cardinals also seek their second consecutive series win against the Yellow Jackets after rallying past them 39-34 last season in Atlanta in Jeff Brohm’s coaching debut.

KEY MATCHUP

Georgia Tech is one of eight FBS teams without a sack allowed, protection that has helped mobile quarterback Haynes King become one of the nation’s top passers. The Yellow Jackets will face their most aggressive pressure yet from a Louisville defense that averages 4.5 sacks per game and has registered 19 tackles for loss, which rank second and fifth, respectively, nationally.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Georgia Tech: Quarterback Haynes King threw three touchdown passes in one half of last week’s 59-7 rout of VMI and has six TDs overall, tied for 26th in FBS. He enters tied for fifth with a 76% completion rate (81 of 106) and a 169.44 efficiency rating.

Louisville: Receiver Ja’Corey Brooks has become a much-needed target after the departures of several playmakers. He leads the team with 13 receptions for 172 yards with one TD, including 89 on six catches against Jacksonville State. The Alabama transfer surpassed 1,000 career yards and has 1,068 total, and ranks third in the ACC with 6.5 catches per game.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Georgia Tech has converted all 14 trips inside the red zone with 13 TDs and a field goal. … The Yellow Jackets have blocked nine kicks in 25 contests since Key began as interim coach in 2022. … Louisville had 610 yards against Jacksonville State, its second-highest total under Brohm. … Linebacker Stanquan Clark has a team-high 11 tackles, including seven solo stops.

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Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (10) throws from the pocket during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Virginia Military Institute Sunday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta,. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)