Spencer Torkelson hit a walk-off home run to give the Detroit Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park on Thursday afternoon. The win secured the series for Detroit after Tarik Skubal surrendered a game-tying double in the seventh inning. Jahmai Jones also homered earlier to help rally the Tigers.
Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, dominated early for the Tigers, retiring Milwaukee's first 11 batters with five strikeouts on just 26 pitches. Riley Greene provided an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning. Skubal carried a no-hitter into the fourth before back-to-back doubles from William Contreras and Gary Sánchez broke it open, though he escaped further damage and restored a two-run advantage heading into the seventh. Skubal showed frustration after Blake Perkins' two-run double tied the game at 4-4, chucking his glove and flipping a mini-cooler in the dugout. He had allowed four runs on seven hits over six-plus innings. The Tigers responded quickly. Jahmai Jones tied the score in the eighth with a pinch-hit home run off Angel Zerpa. Torkelson then crushed a 99.2 mph fastball from Abner Uribe deep to left for the walk-off winner, his second homer in as many days. Manager A.J. Hinch praised Torkelson's power. “He brings a different element,” Hinch said. “It lengthens our lineup and provides a huge threat of homers at the bottom.” Skubal credited his teammates afterward. “Picked me up big time,” Skubal said. “For them to have my back and pick me up in that situation when I gave the lead back away was huge.”
