Tarik Skubal extended his franchise record by pitching seven scoreless innings and the Detroit Tigers ended the visiting Chicago White Sox’s six-game winning streak with a 6-0 shutout Saturday.
Skubal (13-4) has 12 starts this season in which he pitched at least six innings and allowed no runs, two more than previous record-holder Denny McLain notched in 1969. Skubal held the White Sox to two hits and one walk while striking out six.
Skubal saw his season ERA drop to 2.10.
Tommy Kahnle and Rafael Montero pitched the eighth and ninth, respectively, to complete the shutout.
Gleyber Torres delivered the big blow on offense, a three-run homer to cap the Tigers’ five-run fourth. Jahmai Jones had a solo homer and scored two runs for the American League Central Division-leading Tigers (82-61). Zach McKinstry added an RBI double.
Martin Perez (1-4) gave up six runs and five hits in four innings for last-place Chicago (54-89). Wikelman Gonzalez recorded five strikeouts in two innings of scoreless relief. Chase Meidroth had two of the team’s three hits.
Leading off the bottom of the first, Jones gave Detroit the lead on the first pitch he saw. He smashed a Perez cutter over the left field wall. The Tigers had runners in scoring position later in the first but Andy Ibanez flew out to end the inning.
Detroit stretched its lead to 6-0 in the fourth. Riley Greene sparked the big inning with an infield single. Ibanez drew a walk and, one out later, McKinstry blooped a double to left, allowing Greene to score and Ibanez to advance to third.
Javier Baez drove in Ibanez with a sacrifice fly. A walk to Jones preceded Torres’ 15th homer of the season. He blasted a Perez changeup over the left-center field wall.
Bryan Ramos got the first hit of the game for Chicago, reaching on a bloop double with two out in the fifth.
