PHOENIX — Javier Báez broke out of a season-long slump with five RBIs, Tarik Skubal pitched six dominant innings and the Detroit Tigers pounded the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-0 on Friday night.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch insisted he was going to keep sending Báez out despite the shortstop’s meager .167 batting average. Báez rewarded him with a 3-for-4 night that included a pair of two-run doubles and a run-scoring single.
He wasn’t alone in Detroit’s hit fest.
Coming off consecutive shutouts against Florida, the Tigers roughed up Rhyne Nelson (2-3) with three runs in the third inning and added six more in the fifth while chasing the Arizona right-hander. Detroit had 11 runs by the fifth inning and finished with a season-high 17 hits — seven for extra bases, but no homers.
Kerry Carpenter had four RBIs and Colt Keith went 4 for 5 with two RBIs. Wenceel Pérez and Riley Greene also had run-scoring hits.
That was more than enough for Skubal (6-0), who took a perfect game into the fifth inning and allowed one hit with six strikeouts in a combined three-hitter.
Skubal didn't allow a baserunner until Randal Grichuk's one-out double off the wall in the fifth inning and left with the Tigers leading 13-0.
Nelson allowed eight runs on 11 hits in four innings in his worst outing of the season.
Arizona's lone bright spot: Ketel Marte singled in the ninth inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games.
TRAINER'S TABLE
Tigers: RHP Kenta Maeda (illness) will begin his rehab assignment for Triple-A Toledo on Sunday. ... RHP Shelby Miller (ulnar nerve irritation) underwent a hydrodissection procedure earlier this week and played light catch as part of his rehab.
Diamondbacks: OF Alek Thomas has resumed baseball activities and feels no soreness in his left hamstring. ... SS Geraldo Perdomo took live at-bats at Arizona's spring training facility as he works his way back from a torn meniscus.
UP NEXT
Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (5-2, 2.86 ERA) tries for his sixth win in the middle game of the series against Detroit RHP Jack Flaherty (0-3, 3.88).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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