In the grand tradition of afternoon games we’ll make this one short and sweet.
The match-up was Tarik Skubal vs. Jameson Taillon. Javier Baez was out for the game, not feeling well.
In the first inning Skubal got the ball rolling with three quick outs. The Tigers likewise went down in order in the bottom half.
The second inning, Skubal allowed a one-out double to Seiya Suzuki, then a two-out single from Jeimer Candelario scored Suzuki to put the Cubs on the board first. The Tigers once again went 1-2-3 in the second.
Skubal continued to struggle a bit in the third. Nico Hoerner got a one-out single, then Dansby Swanson walked. The baserunners then pulled off a double-steal. Cody Bellinger then singled to score two runs. In the bottom of the third Zach McKinstry got a leadoff walk. He would be the only Tigers baserunner of the inning.
Yan Gomes started the fourth with a leadoff single. Two outs followed before a Nick Madrigal single scored Gomes, putting the Cubs up 4-0. The Tigers were three-up-three down in the bottom half. The fifth went 1-2-3 for both teams.
Skubal had a clean top of the sixth, and then in the bottom half a little weekday afternoon magic unfurled for the Tigers. Andy Ibanez, Jake Rogers, and Akil Baddoo had back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases. Two outs followed, making it seem like the Tigers might leave them loaded, but then red-hot Kerry Carpenter took to the plate and mashed his first career grand slam to tie the game up.
The sixth was also the end of Skubal’s day with a final line of 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K on 85 pitches. It really seemed like some unlucky pitches were to blame for most of the scoring against him today, definitely not a terrible outing overall.
Beau Brieske was in for relief in the seventh and got a 1-2-3 for his efforts. In the bottom half McKinstry got a one-out walk, and Rogers walked on out later, but the Tigers were unable to bring them home.
Brieske was back out for the eighth. Ian Happ reached base on a fielding error from McKinstry, then Suzuki walked. Gomes singled to score Happ but also ended the inning as he tried to stretch the single into a double. The Cubs regained their lead. The Tigers could not add to their score in the bottom of the inning.
In the ninth, Andrew Vasquez was out of the pen, gave up a walk to Candelario, and a single to a pinch-hitting Christopher Morel. Vasquez was out after the minimum three, and Jose Cisnero came out and then allowed a sac fly to Hoerner, scoring Candelario and putting the Cubs two runs ahead. It was down to the bottom of the ninth to see if the Tigers could stage a comeback. Meadows got a one-out walk. McKinstry singled to put men on the corners. They were not able to bring in the runners home and the Cubs took the game and the series.
Final: Cubs 6, Tigers 4