Tarik Skubal fans career-high 13, Zach McKinstry homers as Tigers beat Reds 5-1 to complete sweep

CINCINNATI - CINCINNATI (AP) — Tarik Skubal struck out a career-high 13 in seven innings, Zach McKinstry hit a two-run homer and the Detroit Tigers swept a series for the first time since late May, beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Skubal (10-3) was sharp, mixing a fastball in the upper-90s with a changeup to keep Reds hitters on their heels. He allowed just three hits and walked no one. Cincinnati’s only run came on a seventh-inning groundout.

After the Tigers relied on relievers for the entire game Saturday, Skubal said he went out with the goal of eating up as many innings as he could.

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 07: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates at the end of the 6th innin against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 07, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

"Obviously, the strikeouts happen, and that’s a cool thing, but I’m more proud of the seven (innings) and the sweep," Skubal said.

"(Jake Rogers) called a good game, I was able to execute and continue to go after these guys knowing that I had to pitch deep into the game," he said.

McKinstry drove in Detroit’s first run with a base hit in the fourth inning off Reds starter Graham Ashcraft (5-5) before his two-run blast to right field in the eighth off Alexis Diaz, the usually reliable Cincinnati closer.

Colt Keith had two hits and an RBI, and Gio Urshela had three hits for the Tigers.

Ashcraft allowed a run and six hits with two strikeouts and three walks through 4 2/3 innings.

Detroit beat the Reds 5-4 on Friday and 5-3 on Saturday.

The Tigers hadn’t recorded a series sweep since they took three from Kansas City May 20-22.

"We’ve been away from home a long time and played a lot of different games," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "But the last three have been really fun and pretty clean and pretty well-rounded from the group. Pretty much everybody’s contributed in the last couple of games, and it’s fun to win."

The Reds came off a sweep of the Yankees in New York earlier this week only to lose three straight to a sub-.500 team at home.

"It was a tough weekend for us, no doubt about it," Reds manager David Bell said. "So now we regorup and figure out how to get going again as quick as we can."

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Put OF list Nick Martini (left thumb injury) on the 10-day injury list and recalled INF Livan Soto from AAA-Louisville. OF Stuart Fairchild was not available Sunday due to a back injury.

Tigers: CF Parker Meadows injured his leg when was caught stealing in the eighth inning. "I don’t love what I heard from him and our trainer from the get-go, so we’ll get him evaluated," Hinch said. "It’s something with the hamstring, so that’s always alarming."

UP NEXT

Tigers: Return home for a four-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. They’ll send right-hander Gavin Williams (0-1, 11.25 ERA) against Guardians right-hander Keider Montero (1-2, 6.60) on Monday night.

Reds: Host Colorado for a four-game set starting Monday, when lefty Andrew Abbott (8-6, 3.28) is scheduled to start against a Rockies pitcher still to be determined.