Royals win pitchers’ duel vs. Tigers, Tarik Skubal

After Kansas City’s Michael Wacha and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal were locked in a classic pitchers’ duel for seven innings, the host Royals managed to break through via Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI single in the eighth to win 1-0 over the Tigers on Saturday.
The 33-year-old Wacha retired the first 10 batters he faced and didn’t yield his only hit until Colt Keith singled into center field with one out in the seventh inning. The veteran right-hander fanned six with one walk while facing 23 batters over 99 pitches before leaving after seven.
Coming off a two-hit shutout for his first complete game last weekend against Cleveland, Skubal allowed only singles to Freddy Fermin and Nick Loftin, while fanning seven without a walk on 90 pitches in the seven innings he lasted. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner faced just 22 Kansas City hitters.
Neither team placed a runner in scoring position until Loftin doubled off the left-field fence against Beau Brieske (1-2) with one out in the eighth. Pasquantino then lined the ball into left, where Detroit’s Riley Greene gloved it with momentum, but was unable to nab Loftin at the plate.
After Kansas City’s John Schreiber (2-2) struck out two and allowed a walk in the eighth, Carlos Estevez (16 saves) gave up a two-out single to Keith in the ninth. However, the Royals closer got Greene to ground out to first baseman Salvador Perez for the final out and halt Detroit’s five-game winning streak.
The Tigers, who opened this series with a 7-5 victory Friday, averaged 6.7 runs while amid a 12-3 road stretch entering this contest. Detroit also totaled 26 runs while winning four of the first five 2025 meetings with the Royals prior to Saturday’s game.
Detroit is 8-4 this season in games started by Skubal, but two of those losses have come against the Royals. Skubal, however, did not take the loss in either meeting.
Kansas City has split its last 12 games.