Skubal dominates Rays, Meadows hits 427-foot HR in 7-1 win

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tigers scored a total of three runs in three games the last time they played at Tropicana Field. That was in the season-opening series last year and they were outscored 21-3 in those games.

Different year. Different team. Different story.

The Tigers scored three runs in the first two innings Monday night and, behind another dominant performance by lefty Tarik Skubal, beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-1, in the first of a three-game set.

Mark Canha, who wasn’t a part of that dismantling here last year, started the fun with a bullet home run to left field in the first inning. Parker Meadows, who was in a 0-for-10 funk with six strikeouts, launched a 427-footer to right-center in the sixth, the longest home run of his young career.

And in between, the bottom of the order kept constant pressure on Rays starter Zack Littell.

No. 8 hitter Javier Báez, who has hit safely in five straight games that he’s had a plate appearance in, ripped two singles and scored two runs. When we say ripped: 109.6 mph and 109.5 mph. That’s two of the three hardest-hit balls this season for Báez.

No. 9 hitter Jake Rogers, who came in hitting .077, also had a pair of hits and set up RBIs for Riley Greene and Canha at the top of the order in the fifth inning.

Kerry Carpenter extended his hit streak and RBI streak with an opposite-field gap double in the seventh. It extended his hit streak to eight games and his RBI streak to seven. That’s the longest RBI streak by a Tiger since Miguel Cabrera knocked in runs in seven straight in August of 2013.

That was more than enough support for Skubal. He dismantled a Rays lineup of nine right-handed hitters with both power and finesse. He cruised through his six innings in 86 pitches, tying his season-high with nine strikeouts. Three singles were all the Rays could muster.

He was moving two-seam fastballs (96.5 mph, hitting 98.6) away and four-seam fastballs (97 mph, hitting 99.7) up and in. Off that he mixed changeups, sliders and knuckle-curves. He got a 31% whiff rate and 36% chase.

It was impressive.

Skubal, 3-0 this season, has won seven straight pitcher decisions dating back to last September.

The Rays stopped the shutout in the eighth, a long homer to center by shortstop Jose Cabellero off reliever Shelby Miller.

The Tigers improve to 9-3 on the road, 3-1 on this two-city trip.

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