Tigers Fall 4-2 to Twins as Skubal Loses Command in Key Moments

The Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-2 on Tuesday night at Target Field, breaking through in the fifth inning against a struggling Tarik Skubal. The loss extended Detroit’s slide to seven of nine games and marked the second time in seven days the Tigers have lost a start by their reigning American League Cy Young winner.

Skubal, who entered the game with a 1.62 ERA over his previous 16 starts, was unable to navigate the two-strike counts that had previously defined his success. After retiring the first 10 batters he faced, he issued back-to-back walks to Byron Buxton and Austin Martin in the fifth. That marked the first time Skubal had walked consecutive batters since July 26, 2023, and the first time he walked a batter since Game 2 of last year’s ALDS.

The Twins capitalized on the mistake-heavy inning with two-run doubles by Ryan Jeffers and Josh Bell to take a 4-1 lead. Jeffers, who came into the game hitting just .043 against Skubal, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Bell added a double and a run scored in his first game back with the team after being acquired earlier in the week.

Skubal lasted just 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out five batters but was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 1-2 on the season. His struggles in two-strike counts were a major factor. Skubal had previously walked just 16 batters all season after 0-2 counts, but he issued two in the game alone.

Kevin McGonigle was the lone bright spot for Detroit offensively, driving in both runs with a double and a single. The rookie infielder made his second career start, and his performance gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the third. But the offense stalled after that, managing just four hits and failing to capitalize on multiple scoring chances.

Manager A.J. Hinch said the game was a tough one to swallow. "He pitched under stress pretty much the whole game," Hinch said. "I know early he got into the game pretty good, but then there were multiple guys on base and they spoiled some two-strike pitches and continued at-bats."

Tigers starter Taj Bradley matched Skubal through five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out five batters and kept the game close. But like Skubal, he was unable to carry his team to a win in a game that featured two quality pitching performances.

Detroit is now 1-4 on its seven-game road trip and has lost three straight games. The Tigers remain three games behind the Twins in the AL Central and sit at 6-11 on the season. They’ll look to regroup on Wednesday as they face Minnesota once again in the second game of the three-game series.