Alcantara outlasts Skubal, who leaves early, in Marlins’ 8-2 win over Tigers

MIAMI (AP) — Sandy Alcantara pitched seven innings of two-run ball to outlast Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, who exited early after experiencing left side tightness, in the Miami Marlins’ 8-2 win over the Tigers on Friday night.

Alcantara (9-12) allowed four hits and struck out eight in the matchup of Cy Young Award winners. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner matched a season-high seven innings for the sixth time.

Skubal (13-5) struggled after a recent string of dominant outings. He gave up four runs and four hits before he left with one out in the fourth. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner had allowed one earned run over his previous 27 1/3 innings.

Tigers shortstop Javier Báez left after he fouled off a pitch that struck near his left eye during an at-bat in the second inning. Báez swung at a 90 mph changeup from Alcantara and the ball first deflected off the brim of his helmet before making contact near his eye.

Rookie Agustín Ramírez, Heriberto Hernández and Joey Wiemer homered for the Marlins, who won their third straight.

Ramírez put Miami on the board with a solo shot in the first. He drove Skubal’s fastball into the left-field seats for his 20th homer.

Hernández connected off Skubal to lead off the second and Javier Sanoja added an RBI fielder’s choice in the second to make it 3-0.

After Riley Greene’s solo homer in the fourth narrowed the deficit for Detroit, Miami responded with Sanoja’s two-run double.

Key moment

Wiemer helped expand the Marlins’ lead with a two-run homer against reliever Chris Paddack in the sixth.

Key stat

It was the Marlins’ first three-game win streak since a three-game home sweep of the New York Yankees Aug. 1-3 that got them to 55-55.

Up next

RHP Charlie Morton (7-13, 4.85 ERA) will start for the Tigers on Saturday against RHP Jansen Junk (6-3, 4.48) of the Marlins.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb