CLEVELAND (AP) — Tarik Skubal pitched seven innings while continuing to be mentioned in trade rumors and Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a two-run homer, leading the Detroit Tigers to an 8-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.
Skubal (11-3) gave up a season-high 10 hits, but just one run as the All-Star worked out of several jams. The left-hander has been linked to potential trades with several contenders as the July 30 trade deadline nears.
Malloy homered in the first inning off Carlos Carrasco (3-8) as the Tigers beat the AL-Central leaders for the fourth time in five games.
Cleveland has dropped three straight and is just 2-7 since July 10. The teams play five more times in the next eight days.
The Guardians have been scuffling on offense, and they couldn’t come up with the key hit against Skubal. Steven Kwan, the majors’ leading hitter, popped up with the bases loaded in the second and struck out with two on in the fourth.
Over the weekend, the Guardians went a combined 3 for 55 in losing two straight to the San Diego Padres.
Detroit took a 4-0 lead in the second, helped by two mistakes in center field by Guardians rookie Angel Martinez.
With a runner at first and two outs, Tigers catcher Jake Rogers hit a sinking liner that Martínez narrowly missed with a dive. The ball got behind him, allowing Wenceel Pérez to score easily from first, and when Martínez slipped trying to retrieve it, Rogers made it all the way around, scoring with a headfirst dive.
Rogers was credited with a triple and Martínez charged with an error.
Struggling for any offense, the Guardians loaded the bases in the second but only pushed across one run on No. 9 hitter Austin Hedges’ surprise bunt single.
The Tigers were up 2-0 after just three batters.
Matt Vierling led off by hitting a double off the left-field wall. One out later, Malloy hit a sinker from Carrasco into the bleachers for his seventh homer — and fifth in 15 games. He has 12 RBIs in the span.
SECOND TO NONE
For the third straight day, second baseman Travis Bazzana, drafted No. 1 overall last week by the Guardians, did fielding drills before the game.
Bazzana, who received an $8.95 million signing bonus, will soon report to Cleveland’s Single-A Lake County affiliate.
Manager Stephen Vogt has been very impressed with the 21-year-old.
“Nice kid,” Vogt said. “Very, very well spoken. He’s motivated.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Guardians: LHP Matthew Boyd’s solid outing (four innings, five strikeouts) at Double-A Akron didn’t accelerate his return from Tommy John surgery. The hope is that Boyd can join the rotation in August. “We obviously are excited,” Vogt said. “He’s with us and want him to pitch for us, but what’s most important is that he comes out of his rehab healthy and ready to go.”
UP NEXT
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is planning two bullpen games in the series, with the first coming Tuesday. The Guardians will counter with RHP Xzavion Curry (0-2, 5.19 ERA).
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