Tarik Skubal created additional team history on Sunday by throwing seven shutout innings in his outstanding 2025 season as the Detroit Tigers easily defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-0.
Skubal surpassed Hall of Famer Denny McLain’s 1969 record to become the first pitcher in Tigers history to have 11 starts of at least six scoreless innings in a single season. During his 93 pitches against Kansas City, he gave up four singles, two walks, and four strikeouts. Despite being known for his high strikeout rate, Skubal used soft contact to keep the Royals scoreless in spite of many scoring opportunities.
Maikel Garcia singled and went to third with one out in the third inning, giving Kansas City their best opportunity. Skubal ended the danger by forcing Salvador Perez into a weak groundout and striking out Vinnie Pasquantino with a fastball that clocked at 98 mph. The Royals left six runners stranded in the opening seven innings.
Conversely, Skubal was matched by Royals starter Michael Wacha, who gave up only one hit in four innings. But in the fifth, Detroit’s offense took over. Jake Rogers, who started the game with five hits in eight career at-bats against Wacha, belted a two-run triple to deep center after Zach McKinstry doubled and Spencer Torkelson walked. Both runs were scored because Tyler Tolbert, the center fielder for the Royals, misplayed the ball near the wall.
Gleyber Torres singled to increase the lead to 4-0 and Colt Keith added an RBI double to prolong the rally. Wacha left the game after four and a half innings, having given up four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out four batters. Riley Greene scored Detroit’s fifth run in the eighth inning after reliever Sam Long threw the ball to him. Rogers had two RBIs and went 2-for-4 for the day.
Skubal was supported by the Tigers’ bullpen to finish the shutout. Kyle Finnegan, acquired after the trade deadline, pitched a scoreless eighth inning, extending his run without an earned run since joining the Tigers to 14⅓ innings. In the ninth, Rafael Montero, who was also added at the last minute, retired the team in order.
After the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit advanced to 80-58, making them the second MLB club to achieve 80 victories this season. With a half-game advantage over Toronto (79-58) and an AL Central lead of 9½ games over Kansas City, the Tigers are still leading the American League in terms of record.
In the race for the 2025 AL Cy Young Award, Tarik Skubal reduced his ERA to 2.18, just ahead of Boston’s Garrett Crochet (2.40). Skubal is back in the heart of the Cy Young race a year after winning the award, and his most recent record-breaking performance has improved the Tigers’ prospects of winning their first title since 1984 as well as his own.
