Bats go cold in Rays' loss to Tigers

DETROIT — Tarik Skubal allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings and the Detroit Tigers took another step toward an improbable postseason appearance with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

Skubal (18-4), a leading candidate to win the AL Cy Young award, struck out seven batters while walking only one on a day the weather didn’t cooperate. He is 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA in his last nine starts.

“I have the best seat in the house to watch the best pitcher in the league,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He was incredible on a tough day to pitch. We changed the time from a night game to an afternoon game, then ended up sitting out an hour delay, but he dominated.”

Skubal will get a chance for a 19th win on Sunday if the Tigers need him to beat the Chicago White Sox on the final day of the regular season to make the postseason.

The Tigers (83-74) began the day tied with Kansas City for the second and third wild-card spots — the Royals hold the tiebreaker — and one game ahead of the Minnesota Twins. Sellers at MLB’s trade deadline, Detroit is an MLB-best 28-11 since Aug. 11.

Reliever Beau Brieske retired the first five batters he faced before Brandon Lowe homered with two outs in the ninth, pulling the Rays to within 2-1, but he struck out Josh Lowe for his third career save and first this season.

Tampa Bay (78-79) dropped five games behind the Tigers.

“We felt our best chance was to win out, and we didn’t get there today,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We needed help before this game, and now we’re going to need even more.”

Wenceel Pérez reached base three times for Detroit, walking twice before hitting a two-run double in the fifth.

“We’re doing a great job of playing together,” said Pérez, who returned on Sept. 13 after missing a month with an oblique strain. “This is like a playoff game for us, and we’re stepping up to the challenge.”

Tampa Bay starter Ryan Pepiot (8-7) allowed two runs on three hits and four walks in six innings.

The Tigers had the first good chance of the game, putting runners on the corners with one out in the fourth, but Pepiot got Colt Keith to pop out before striking out Spencer Torkelson.

Detroit loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, thanks to two walks and a single.

Detroit 2, Tampa Bay 1

Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Díaz dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .282

B.Lowe 1b 4 1 1 1 0 2 .242

DeLuca rf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .213

d-J.Lowe ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .240

Caminero 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .243

Morel lf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .191

Caballero 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .230

Rortvedt c 2 0 1 0 0 1 .226

a-Palacios ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .232

Driscoll c 0 0 0 0 0 0 .179

Siri cf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .190

Walls ss 2 0 0 0 0 1 .180

c-Aranda ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .245

Totals 29 1 3 1 1 10

Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Meadows cf 3 0 0 0 1 2 .231

Carpenter dh 3 0 0 0 0 1 .287

b-Vierling ph-dh 1 0 0 0 0 1 .257

Pérez rf 2 0 1 2 2 1 .240

Greene lf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .262

Keith 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .260

Torkelson 1b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .216

McKinstry 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .216

Sweeney ss 2 1 0 0 1 1 .242

Rogers c 3 1 1 0 0 2 .199

Totals 27 2 3 2 4 12

Tampa Bay 000 000 001—1 3 0

Detroit 000 020 00x—2 3 0

a-struck out for Rortvedt in the 8th. b-struck out for Carpenter in the 8th. c-popped out for Walls in the 9th. d-struck out for DeLuca in the 9th.

LOB—Tampa Bay 2, Detroit 5. 2B—Pérez (16). HR—B.Lowe (21), off Brieske. RBIs—B.Lowe (56), Pérez 2 (36). CS—Caballero (16).

Runners left in scoring position—Tampa Bay 0; Detroit 3 (Torkelson, Greene 2). RISP—Tampa Bay 0 for 0; Detroit 1 for 5.

DP—Detroit 1 (Rogers, Sweeney, Rogers).

Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Pepiot, L, 8-7 5 3 2 2 4 6 86 3.64

Poche 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 3.72

Montgomery 2 0 0 0 0 6 29 1.17

Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Skubal, W, 18-4 7 2 0 0 1 7 103 2.39

Brieske, S, 1-2 2 1 1 1 0 3 23 3.68

Umpires—Home, Chris Conroy; First, Shane Livensparger; Second, Brian O’Nora; Third, Brennan Miller.

T—1:59. A—22,770 (41,083).