James Outman's three-run homer in the seventh inning proved to be the decisive blow as the Detroit Tigers edged the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Thursday night.
Dillon Dingler's tiebreaking double in the eighth inning sealed the win for the Tigers, who have now won 14 of their last 19 games. This surge in form has potentially persuaded the franchise to keep Tarik Skubal and make a push for the playoffs, rather than dealing the two-time Cy Young Award winner before the August 3 trade deadline.
Tiger starter Troy Melton allowed two runs, five hits, and four walks over five innings. The Royals, meanwhile, were led by Randy Dobnak, who threw five scoreless innings.
In the sixth inning, Isaac Collins broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer for the Royals. However, the Tigers responded in the seventh inning when Outman hit a three-run homer off John Schreiber, who had been an out away from getting out of the jam with a two-run lead.
The Royals pulled back into a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning when Josh Rojas hit an RBI single off Drew Anderson. Anderson, however, bounced back to give up only one more run in the eighth. Kyle Finnegan then entered in the ninth inning with two on and one out, and managed to get out of the jam with a double play to secure his second save.
Before the game, Skubal expressed his preference to finish the season with the Tigers and compete for a championship. However, his next start, which is scheduled for Friday night against the Royals, could be his last with the team.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro was not with the team due to a personal matter, although the Royals expect him to return soon. The Royals, meanwhile, are still reeling from their recent slump, and will look to bounce back in the second game of the series.
Up next, Skubal (6-5, 2.83 ERA) is scheduled to pitch the second game of the series, while the Royals are considering starting LHP Noah Cameron (5-8, 5.27).
Source: Yahoo Sports