DETROIT (AP) — Jake Rogers hit a three-run homer to cap an eight-run fifth inning, Tarik Skubal earned his eighth win of the season and the Detroit Tigers rolled to a 10-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
LISTEN: Bob Uecker potentially on the call on WKTY Monday for Brewers-Bluejays. Pregame begins at 6:35 p.m. Tune in on 96.7 FM / 580 AM. The Brewers said at the beginning of the season, Uecker may not call all home games this season, like years past.
The eight-run inning was a season high for the Tigers, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Gio Urshela and Zach McKinstry each contributed a two-run single. Riley Greene finished with two doubles and an RBI.
Skubal (8-1) allowed one run and five hits while striking out 10 in 6 2/3 innings. The strikeout total was his second-highest this season. He fanned 12 against the New York Yankees on May 5.
He has reached double-digit strikeouts six times during his career.
“I like to strike guys out,” Skubal said. “I think every pitcher would say that. And if they say no, they’re lying.”
Skubal’s fastball was clocked as high as 101.7 mph.
“This is a team across the way that doesn’t swing and miss a ton, they don’t chase a ton. They did both of that today,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He overwhelmed them.”
Milwaukee starter Bryse Wilson (3-3) was charged with seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. The NL Central leaders hadn’t allowed double-digit runs since April 28.
Brice Turang’s run-scoring triple in the seventh ended Skubal’s shutout bid. Skubal, who was making his 13th start of the season, lowered his ERA to 1.92.
“His stuff was the best I’ve seen,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That was electric stuff with life. His changeup was hard to recognize and his fastball was really, really good. Man, he’s feeling it.”
Detroit scored twice in the first inning, highlighted by Greene’s RBI double.
Urshela drove in the first two runs during the Tigers’ fifth-inning outburst. McKinstry’s bloop two-run single was followed by Andy Ibanez’s RBI single. Rogers’ opposite-field drive off Hoby Milner, his fifth homer of the season, made it 10-0.
Wenceel Perez got the Tigers’ big inning going with a bunt single.
“Funny how it starts with a leadoff batter on base. It happens to be a bunt, which wakes everybody up a little bit,” Hinch said. “Then we went on to have 11 straight quality at-bats.”
DAY OF REST
Milwaukee C/DH William Contreras had his streak of 101 consecutive games played — all starts — snapped. Contreras got the day off after hitting .157 in the previous 12 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers 2B Colt Keith (left knee soreness) was not in the lineup one day after colliding with right fielder Akil Baddoo. Keith is not expected to require a stint on the injured list.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Colin Rea (4-2, 3.53 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game home series against Toronto on Monday night.
Tigers: RHP Kenta Maeda (2-2, 6.25 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game home series against Washington on Tuesday night.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – A Milwaukee Brewers mascot cheers in the empty stands during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)