Detroit Tigers swept by Atlanta Braves after 7-0 loss in series finale

ATLANTA — The Detroit Tigers are the ninth MLB team to reach 40 losses during the 2024 season.

Left-hander Tarik Skubal, the starting rotation ace who has been the favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award, couldn’t save the Tigers in Wednesday’s 7-0 loss to the Braves. Atlanta at Truist Park.

With their fourth straight loss, the Tigers (34-40) – swept by the Braves in three games while scoring just two runs in 27 innings in the series – fell six games below .500, 12 games behind first place in the AL Central and seven games behind the final AL wild card spot.

They are 29-40 since starting the season 5-0.

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Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers throws during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 in Atlanta.

Skubal had his worst start to the season, allowing five runs (four earned runs) on seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in four innings, throwing 83 pitches. He gave up a home run each in the third and fourth innings.

His ERA went from 2.20 to 2.50 after his 15th start. He allowed eight of his 25 earned runs in his last two starts, increasing his ERA from 1.92 to 2.50.

The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the second inning with Ozzie Albies’ RBI single on a curveball up the middle, then extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning with Sean Murphy’s two-run homer on Skubal’s change with two strikes and two outs.

Murphy pushed Skubal’s midfield changeup over the wall in right-center field for a 407-foot home run.

Ramón Laureano jumped Skubal’s first pitch of the fourth inning — a fastball up the middle — for a 426-foot solo home run to left-center field, making the score 4-0.

It was Laureano’s second homer in his 80th at-bat this season.

The Braves increased their margin to 5-0 later in the fourth inning after Skubal overthrew Albies, walked Marcell Ozuna and threw the ball away as Albies attempted to steal third base.

Skubal – immediately following a visit to the mound from pitching coach Chris Fetter – threw the ball past third baseman Gio Urshela, allowing Albies to score on the throwing error.

After that, Skubal struck out Matt Olson with a 98.1 mph fastball and Austin Riley with an 88.4 mph changeup to finish his 15th start of the season.

He generated 19 whiffs on 46 swings – a 41.3% whiff rate – with five fastballs, seven changeups, six sliders and a sinker, but when the Braves made contact with Skubal’s elite changeup, they hit the ball hard for three of their seven shots against. him.

Skubal threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 23 batters.

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The Tigers had eight hits and one walk.

All eight hits were singles.

Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez — who Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos signed as a reliever and became a dominant starter — pitched five scoreless innings on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts, pitching 93 throws.

Lopez has a 1.57 ERA in 13 starts.

TUESDAY’S PLAYER:Tigers fall five games below .500 for first time with 2-1 loss to Braves

Facing Lopez, the Tigers had a runner in the first inning, two runners in the second, a runner in third, two runners in the fourth and two runners in the fifth.

Jake Rogers stranded two runners in the second half with a strikeout; Akil Baddoo stranded two runners in the fourth with a fieldout; Mark Canha stranded two runners in the fifth with a third strikeout.

The Tigers – responsible for three runs during their four-game losing streak – finished 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position in Wednesday’s series finale against the Braves.

Mason Englert was also shaken

Right-handed reliever Mason Englert replaced Skubal for the fifth inning.

Adam Duvall – the first batter Englert faced in his early relief appearance – hit an infield single, advanced to second base on a throwing error by shortstop Zach McKinstry and moved to third base on a wild pitch.

Then Murphy smoked Englert’s center field sinker for a 423-foot, two-run home run to left-center field. The Braves took a 7-0 lead with the conclusion of Murphy’s fourth two-homer game in 454 career games.

UNTIL 2025:Tigers reliever Alex Lange requires surgery for lateral strain, likely ending season

Englert calmed down after the home run.

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