Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Angels

Tarik Skubal spent his All-Star break in Detroit, bypassing a typical midsummer vacation to get his regular between-starts work at Comerica Park. On Saturday at Angel Stadium, that preparation paid off immediately. Backed by a four-run burst in the first inning, Skubal silenced the Angels' bats, scattering five hits over seven scoreless innings while striking out nine without issuing a walk in the Tigers' 7-0 win. The Detroit offense provided extensive run support before their starter even took the mound, led by a historic moment from rookie infielder Kevin McGonigle. Leading off the game, McGonigle capped an eight-pitch at-bat by hooking a double into right-center field. The hit was the 100th of his career, making him and Hall of Famer Ty Cobb the only players in Tigers franchise history aged 21 or younger to reach the century mark in fewer than 100 career games. "Man, I just found out literally right after the game,” McGonigle said with a smile. “Obviously, my name being up there with Ty Cobb, it's something I never really imagined, to be honest with you. I'm just proud of myself so far with how much I've been trying to help this team. All those hits come from helping this team, and that's my mindset." Colt Keith quickly drove McGonigle home with a sharp single before Spencer Torkelson broke the frame open, launching a three-run homer into the left-center-field seats to establish a quick 4-0 cushion. Torkelson, who added a solo blast in the fifth inning, noted that the lineup's ability to cash in early allowed everyone to relax and stick to their game plan. "He delivered a big blow in the first inning and got us off to an incredible start," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of Torkelson. "Four is a lot different than one. ... He was bouncing all over the field tonight."