Tigers offense exploded, connecting for three home runs. Cy Young winner Alcantara struggled, surrendering seven runs as Marlins fall in series sweep.
In a highly touted battle between Cy Young Award winners, one pitcher got tagged by the long ball early and often, while the other was virtually untouchable.
Tarik Skubal went hitless through five innings and walked away with a one-run gem as the Detroit Tigers defeated the Miami Marlins 8-2 on Sunday to complete the three-game sweep. Skubal went 6.2 innings allowing one run on two hits with six strikeouts on the day the Tigers honored former manager Phil Garner, who passed away on Saturday at 76 years of age.
“I’m glad we could have a scrappy win today for a true gentleman in the game,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said during his postgame press conference.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough praised the Tigers ace during his postgame press conference, saying “there’s a reason why he won Cy Youngs back to back.”
“You know he’s going to fill up the zone and it’s a very good heater,” McCullough said of Skubal.”
Sandy Alcantara gave up seven runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts on six innings pitched at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Marlins ace entered the contest having allowed only two runs through his first three outings.
Three home runs doomed the Alcantara's fourth outing of the season and his six innings represent his shortest time on the mound in 2026.
“Two swings that you just tip your cap to the hitter,” McCullough said.
Tyler Phillips pitched the final two innings for the Marlins, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts.
The Tigers pounced on Alcantara early with a three-run homer by Dillon Dingler in the first inning. After getting the first two outs, Alcantara allowed back-to-back two-out singles before Dingler sent his 91-mph changeup over the left-field wall.
The Tigers continued to use the long ball to their advantage against the 2022 Cy Young winner. Rookie infielder Kevin McGonigle took the first pitch he saw and drove it to center field for a solo home run in the fifth inning, improving Detroit’s lead to 4-0.
In the sixth, Kerry Carpenter went from an 0-2 count to taking a low sweeper to right field for a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Three consecutive singles followed the blast to give the Tigers their third run of the inning and a 7-0 lead.
McCullough said Alcantara’s sweeper was well executed “down by the shoelaces” that was a result of “good hitting” by Carpenter rather than poor pitching.
“Credit to [Carpenter],” McCullough said. “It was good hitting for him to take that pitch, locate it where it was, and hit it out.”
The Marlins finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh. Jakob Marsee led off the inning with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Otto Lopez, who later hit a solo shot in the ninth.
The Tigers got one more run in the eighth inning, McGonigle singled and later scored on a wild pitch. McGonigle went 3-for-4 to lead the Tigers at the plate.
Austin Slater led the Marlins at the plate with two hits. The veteran right fielder, who has been batting leadoff against left-handed pitching since opening day, entered Sunday with two hits all season.
The Marlins (8-8) were swept for the first time in 2026 and are 1-5 on the road. The Miami bats were only able to amass three runs throughout the series.
“Credit to Detroit,” McCullough said. “I thought they pitched well for three days.”
The Marlins travel to Atlanta next to take on the Braves Monday-Wednesday before returning home for a six-game homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.
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