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Detroit Tigers' Jake Rogers guides Tarik Skubal, hits two home runs in 2-1 win over Rangers
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- Detroit Tigers' Jake Rogers guides Tarik Skubal, hits two home runs in 2-1 win over Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas — Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal didn't have his best strike-throwing performance. He didn't throw an abundance of first-pitch strikes, and he didn't rack up a flurry of swinging strikes.
But Skubal made big pitches in big moments.
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His catcher, Jake Rogers , guided him through his start and provided all the offense in the Tigers ' 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers in Monday's three-game series opener at Globe Life Field. Rogers — born and raised in Canyon, Texas — hit two solo home runs.
Entering Monday's game, Rogers hadn't hit a home run since April 28. After Monday's game, Rogers has four home runs in 38 games this season.
The Tigers (30-30) were troubled by right-hander Nathan Eovaldi , but Jake Rogers took advantage of a middle-up curveball with two strikes and two outs in the third inning. He turned on the hanging curveball for a 379-foot home run to left field.
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Tigers catcher Jake Rogers celebrates his solo home run on the base paths against the Rangers in the third inning on Monday, June 3, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.
The first homer tied the game, 1-1.
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Rogers struck again in the eighth inning, this time with one strike and two outs against right-handed reliever Jose Leclerc . He drove a middle-middle cutter for a 390-foot home run to left field.
The second homer put the Tigers ahead, 2-1.
While Rogers helped Skubal, he also helped right-handed reliever Beau Brieske complete in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Brieske retired eight batters in a row before Ezequiel Duran 's two-strike, two-out double down the first-base line that deflected off the bag and into foul territory in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Manager A.J. Hinch visited Brieske on the mound but left him in the game to face Leody Taveras with a runner on second base and two outs.
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The decision paid off.
Taveras flew out to center field to end the game.
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Tarik Skubal shoves
Before Rogers' go-ahead homer in the eighth, Skubal showcased his ability to pitch out of jams with help from Rogers behind the plate in the first six innings.
Skubal, who owns a 1.97 ERA in 12 starts, worked around seven hits and two walks to deliver six innings of one-run ball. The 27-year-old threw first-pitch strikes to just 15 of 26 batters (57.7%) and generated just 11 whiffs on 48 swings (22.9%).
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There were big moments in the third, fifth and sixth innings.
Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal pitches against the Rangers during the first inning on Monday, June 3, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.
Skubal made pitches to escape jams.
In the first inning, though, Marcus Semien blasted Skubal's fifth-pitch changeup for a leadoff solo home run to left field. The Rangers took a 1-0 lead.
Skubal was tested in the third inning because of back-to-back singles from Semien and Corey Seager , both on changeups. He stuck with his trusty changeup for back-to-back pitches against Robbie Grossman , and the second changeup produced an inning-ending double play.
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A similar situation occurred in the fifth inning, when Skubal walked Semien and gave up a single to Seager. Once again, Skubal leaned on his changeup again to take down Grossman with an inning-ending strikeout.
The Rangers were ready to chase Skubal in the sixth inning with back-to-back base runners — Adolis Garcia (single) and Jonah Heim (walk) — before Skubal sent down the next three batters to complete his outing on a positive note.
He struck out Wyatt Langford with a splitter and struck out Josh Smith with a sinker, both called strikeouts. After that, Skubal induced an inning-ending groundout.
Justyn-Henry Malloy makes MLB debut
Justyn-Henry Malloy was ready to swing the bat.
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He jumped a first-pitch fastball from Eovaldi in the second inning. Malloy hammered the high-velocity fastball 378 feet to right-center field, but he flew out to the warning track. The aggressive approach, rather than a passive approach, was encouraging from Malloy in the first plate appearance of his career.
Tigers designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy flies out to center field during his first major league at-bat during the second inning against the Rangers on Monday, June 3, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.
It wouldn't have been a homer in any big-league parks.
Malloy finished 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his MLB debut. He struck out swinging on an elevated fastball from Eovaldi in the fifth inning, then he struck out with a checked swing on a down-and-away fastball from right-handed reliever Jose Leclerc.
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Eovaldi dominated in his second game back from the injured list, sidelined for three weeks with a groin strain. He allowed one run on three hits across 5⅔ innings, throwing 71 pitches. He recorded seven strikeouts compared to zero walks.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jake Rogers' 2 HRs lift Detroit Tigers past Texas Rangers, 2-1
