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The Detroit Tigers lost, 8-2, to the Miami Marlins on Friday, Sept. 12.Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal left his start in the fourth inning with tightness in his left side.Riley Greene hit his 34th homer of the season and went 2-for-3 for the Tigers.
MIAMI – The Detroit Tigers were stunned with injuries to two of their All-Stars against the Miami Marlins in the series opener at loanDepot Park on Friday, Sept. 12.
Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, left the game with one out in the fourth inning after grabbing his side. The Tigers later announced the left-hander departed with “tightness in his left side and is currently under evaluation.”
That happened after Javier Báez fouled a ball off his face and had to leave the game in the second inning.
Those two injuries – two major players in this lineup – completely rocked the Tigers, as the Marlins won, 8-2, before a crowd of 16,926.
The Tigers (84-64) will play the Marlins (69-79) in the second game of this three-game series on Saturday, Sept. 13 (4:10 p.m.; FanDuel Sports Network Detroit), with right-hander Charlie Morton scheduled to pitch for the Tigers. Manager A.J. Hinch said before Friday’s game that he planned to go with a bullpen game on Sunday, Sept. 14.
Tarik Skubal injured after strange start
Skubal was injured after throwing his 45th pitch against the Marlins. He walked off the mound, grabbing his left side, and called for catcher Jake Rogers. Hinch jogged out of the dugout to the mound. After a short meeting, Skubal walked off the field and was replaced by right-hander Rafael Montero.
Uncharacteristically, Skubal had not been sharp all night. Against the second batter in the Miami lineup, Skubal left a 97-mph four-seam fastball over the middle of the plate, and Agustín Ramírez, a rookie catcher, hit a 404-feet homer to left. Ramírez, who is 24 years old, has now hit 20 homers.
In the second inning, Heriberto Hernández, a 25-year-old rookie, homered to right, hammering a 98-mph sinker that Skubal left over the middle of the plate, giving Miami a 2-0 lead.
On the next pitch, Eric Wagaman, who was playing in his 149th career game, doubled to right. On the next pitch, Skubal hit Maximo Acosta.
Then Wagaman scored on a fielder’s choice.
Javier Báez removed from game
The Baez injury was just strange.
Right-hander Sandy Alcantara was on the mound for the Marlins and threw a changeup that was high and inside. Báez swung at it and fouled the ball off his forehead, with the ball popping his helmet off.
Báez collapsed near home plate. Hinch and a trainer tended to Báez and helped him walk off the field. There was no blood, but Báez seemed to be pointing at the left side of his face.
Trey Sweeney entered to replace Báez at shortstop, inheriting an 0-2 count with two outs. He struck out swinging.
Marlins roll over Tigers
After Skubal left the game, Montero was rushed into duty. He went 1⅔ innings, giving up two hits and allowing one run.
Then, the Tigers went to Chris Paddack, who gave up three runs on a homer to Joey Wiemer (Temperance Bedford).
One of the few bright spots for the Tigers?
Riley Greene hit his 34th homer, tying him with Tony Clark for the most in a season for the team by a Tigers draftee.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.