DETROIT — Tarik Skubal threw the first complete game and shutout of his career, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 5-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park.
The Tigers (34-20) took just one of four but avoided a sweep against the Guardians (29-23) in their first meeting of the season. They’ll see each other again July 4-6 in Cleveland.
Skubal took a perfect game into the sixth inning for the second time this month, breezing through the first 15 batters before Will Wilson doubled to lead off the sixth inning. But the Guardians never seriously threatened. Even with the perfect game gone and a comfortable lead, Skubal kept his foot on the gas, hitting 101.7 mph as he closed the seventh inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
Skubal was at 85 pitches after eight innings, so manager A.J. Hinch opted to let him come out for the ninth for a chance to get the first complete game and first shutout of his 115-start career.
Fans, sensing the moment, gave him a standing ovation as he took the mound in the ninth.
Skubal struck out Nolan Jones, got Angel MartÃnez to ground out and then, with fans on their feet, wiped out Gabriel Arias on three pitches.
Skubal finished with 13 strikeouts over nine nearly perfect innings.
Guardians starter Logan Allen walked four batters in first three innings — and also committed a throwing error — and Tigers had nothing to show for it.
But that changed in the fourth. Zach McKinstry hit a two-run homer and Gleyber Torres and Andy Ibanez contributed RBI hits in the five-run inning. Allen didn’t help matters either, hitting a batter and making another error.
McKinstry’s shot to right was just the second homer of his career against a left-handed pitcher (out of 28 total). The left-handed hitter is batting .362 (17-for-47) against southpaws this year with three doubles, two triples and now a homer.
Skubal took a perfect game into the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers on May 9.
Beau Brieske, Brant Hurter, Brenan Hanifee and Tyler Holton fell one out short of a combined no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 13, 2024.
There have been nine no-hitters in Tigers’ history, including two in Comerica Park. The most recent was a combined effort between Matt Manning, Jason Foley and Alex Lange on July 8, 2023, in Detroit.
Justin Verlander has thrown two of the Tigers’ nine no-hitters, including the only other no-hitter at Comerica Park on June 12, 2007, against the Milwaukee Brewers. (Although Armando Galarraga’s near-perfect game was in 2010).
Guardians star Jose Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a single in the seventh inning. He’s now reached safely in 22 straight games.
This story will be updated.
Up next: The Tigers open a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants on Monday at 1:10 p.m. at Comerica Park.
Tigers right-hander Keider Montero (1-1, 5.28 ERA) will face Giants righty Hayden Birdsong (2-0, 1.91).
Montero filled in for Casey Mize for a couple of starts during Mize’s brief stint on the injured list. Now he’ll slide over to do the same for Reese Olson, who’s out with finger inflammation.