It took Detroit exactly three batters in the bottom of the first to announce that Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park was going to be a long one for Sandy Alcantara. Colt Keith and Riley Greene hit back-to-back singles, and then Dillon Dingler turned on one and sent it to left field for a three-run homer — his third of the season — before Miami had recorded its second out of the game. 

The Tigers rolled to an 8–2 final, completing a series sweep of Miami and pushing their record to 7–9 on the young season. It was the kind of afternoon where everything clicked: the lineup mashed, the bullpen held, and Tarik Skubal — for five and two-thirds innings — was utterly untouchable. Riley Greene also reached base safely, 16 straight, to start the season and every player in the lineup recorded a hit. 

If there was a single player who defined this game's narrative arc, it was Kevin McGonigle. The rookie shortstop went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk, and an RBI  but the number that will stick is the one that lit up the Comerica scoreboard in the fifth inning: his first career home run, a solo shot to right-center off Alcantara that pushed the lead to 4–0.

It wasn't just the homer. McGonigle has been one of the quiet bright spots in an otherwise uneven start for Detroit, and Sunday confirmed there's something real here. He's batting .322 on the season, plays a clean shortstop, and now has shown he can punish a mistake pitch when a Cy Young winner leaves one up in the zone.

For five and a third innings, Tarik Skubal was carrying a no-hitter. He had retired Miami in order through five, running his pitch count efficiently while the offense built a comfortable cushion. The crowd was aware. The broadcast was aware. And then Austin Slater — leading off the sixth — lined a single to center to break it up, ending what would have been a remarkable afternoon.

Skubal finished with six innings of one-run ball, surrendering just that one hit and a sacrifice fly RBI that came across in the seventh after he had departed. He struck out multiple batters, induced soft contact all afternoon, and outpitched a fellow ace convincingly. Alcantara, a former NL Cy Young Award winner, lasted six innings but gave up six runs — three home runs — and looked every bit like a pitcher on a team that is going nowhere fast.

Kyle Finnegan handled the seventh after Skubal departed, and Tyler Phillips came on in relief later, surrendering the game's only real blemish: a wild pitch that allowed a run to score in the eighth. But by then, the Tigers were ahead 7–1 and cruising. Otto Lopez added a solo home run in the ninth to account for Miami's final margin, but it was pure window dressing.

Detroit finished with 12 hits and scored eight runs, its most productive offensive output in recent memory. Kerry Carpenter added a two-run home run in the sixth — his third of the year — that extended the lead to 6–0 and effectively buried the game. Riley Greene went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Javier Báez added an RBI single in a five-run sixth inning that sent the Comerica crowd home happy.

The sixth inning, in particular, was a showcase. After Carpenter's blast, Spencer Torkelson singled, Zach McKinstry singled him to second, Báez drove one in, and the lineup kept marching. The Tigers sent seven men to the plate and scored five times, turning a manageable lead into a laugher.

Detroit will enjoy an off day Monday before opening a home series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, April 14. At 7–9, the Tigers still have work to do — but a sweep, a near no-hitter from their ace, and a three-hit day from a rookie shortstop is about as good as a warm Sunday afternoon in April gets.

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