Detroit — Kerry Carpenter can’t do it by himself.
But he’s certainly tried since returning from the injured list Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the Tigers outfielder on Saturday went 3-for-4 with a double, making up half of Detroit’s six total hits in the game.
Even with the help of a pair of doubles from Miguel Cabrera, who tried to get a rally going with his extra-base hit in the ninth, the Tigers were shut out for the third time in June, falling 5-0 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a matinee at Comerica Park that pushed Detroit’s losing streak to eight games.
Carpenter had two hits for the Tigers (26-36) in Friday’s 11-6 loss to the Diamondbacks and accounted for just one run in the series’ first two games despite reaching base five times. Cabrera and outfielder Jake Marisnick accounted for Detroit’s other three hits.
Arizona got the best of Tigers starter Matt Boyd with a pair of emphatic homers that would end up being the only runs scored. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Nick Ahmed each hit multi-run homers.
Boyd retired the Diamondbacks (39-25) on three straight putouts to open the game but had no such success in the second inning, despite opening the frame with two straight outs. Pavin Smith singled to keep the inning alive for Ahmed, who took advantage of a 2-0 count by unloading on a fastball to make it 2-0. Ahmed’s home run, the second of his season, traveled 404 feet.
Cabrera doubled with two outs in the second inning and again in the ninth, putting him on a bit of a hot streak. He doubled in his last appearance against Philadelphia.
Arizona added to its lead with a three-run fifth inning. Gabriel Moreno got things going with a double and Ketel Marte walked, setting the stage for a 418-foot bomb to left off the bat of Gurriel.
Boyd (3-5, 5.55 ERA) was pulled after five innings with six hits, five earned runs, two walks and three strikeouts. He threw 88 pitches and 59 strikes.
BOX SCORE: Diamondbacks 5, Tigers 0
Detroit chased Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson, who earned the victory, after loading the bases in the sixth. Carpenter cranked a two-out double to left and Spencer Torkelson and Nick Maton walked. Arizona brought in right-hander Austin Adams to face the righty hitter Zack Short, whose flyout to dead center got a rise out of the fans but did, indeed, end the inning without any damage done.
Mason Englert and Jose Cisnero each pitched an inning of scoreless relief for the Tigers and Tyler Alexander threw two.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi