Tarik Skubal struck out a record-setting 14 over 7 2/3 innings and Riley Greene scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on Zach McKinstry’s safety squeeze to give the visiting Detroit Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday in Game 1 of their American League wild-card series.
Skubal (1-0) allowed one run on three hits and walked three in a 107-pitch gem. He broke the mark of 13 strikeouts in a wild-card game accomplished by the New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw in 2020.
Will Vest recorded the final four outs for the save. Jose Ramirez reached third base as the tying run with no outs in the ninth, but he was erased when Vest fielded Kyle Manzardo’s one-out chopper and tagged Ramirez halfway down the line after the runner retreated. C.J. Kayfus then popped out to end the game.
Both Detroit runs were unearned as Guardians starter Gavin Williams (0-1) scattered five hits and one walk over six-plus innings.
Cubs 3, Padres 1
Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly belted back-to-back homers to lead off the fifth inning, lifting host Chicago over San Diego in Game 1 of their National League wild-card series.
Nico Hoerner collected two of the Cubs’ six hits and added a sacrifice fly. Daniel Palencia (1-0) struck out two and retired all five batters he faced in relief of starter Matthew Boyd. Brad Keller tossed a scoreless ninth inning to secure the save.
Xander Bogaerts ripped an RBI double in the second inning and had two of the Padres’ four hits. Nick Pivetta (0-1) allowed just one baserunner in the first four innings before surrendering the Cubs’ home runs. He gave up three hits and two runs over five innings while fanning nine.
Red Sox 3, Yankees 1
Garrett Crochet struck out 11 in 7 2/3 innings and visiting Boston surged ahead against the New York bullpen to open their American League wild-card series with a win.
The Red Sox grabbed the advantage in the best-of-three series on Masataka Yoshida’s pinch-hit, two-run single in the seventh inning, then added Alex Bregman’s RBI double in the ninth. Crochet (1-0) allowed just four hits and one run. Boston closer Aroldis Chapman gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases in the ninth but escaped for the save.
The Red Sox did not get the lead until Yankees starter Max Fried exited in the seventh after firing 6 1/3 scoreless innings. Luke Weaver (0-1) entered and allowed two hits and a walk, including Yoshida’s go-ahead single with one out. Anthony Volpe accounted for the Yankees’ lone run on a solo homer in the second inning.
