Tarik Skubal and AL Central-leading Tigers outduel Zack Wheeler and Phillies 7-5

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — All-Star starter Tarik Skubal won his first game since June and Javier Baez homered, doubled and knocked in four runs as the Detroit Tigers beat the Philadelphia Phillies and ace Zack Wheeler 7-5 on Saturday.

Skubal (11-3) limited the Phillies (62-48) to three runs and five hits over seven innings while striking out 10. He struck out six of the first seven batters he faced, and didn’t relent until the seventh.

With AL Central-leading Detroit ahead 5-0, Bryce Harper opened with a single, J.T. Realmuto knocked him in with a double before Nick Castellanos golfed a two-run homer to center, cutting the Tigers’ lead to two runs.

Baez added a two-run double in the eighth, but Harper (three hits) negated that with a two-out, two-run shot — his 18th of the season — off reliever Will Vest.

But, Detroit’s Kyle Finnegan finished off the Phils with a four-out save.

Wheeler (9-5) took the loss, allowing solo home runs by Colt Keith and Kerry Carpenter in the third inning, then a two-run shot by Baez in the seventh.

Keith and Wenceel Perez each had three hits for the Tigers (65-47).

The Phillies threatened in the sixth when Weston Wilson hit a pitch off the top of the fence for a double, the Phillies’ second hit of the game. But with two outs, Kyle Schwarber hit a sky-high foul pop that Tigers left fielder Riley Greene grabbed via a long-distance sprint and brilliant sliding catch.

Wheeler gave up a season-high three home runs to the Tigers. The only time he had allowed more than one in a game was on July 12 in San Diego when the Padres hit a pair in a 5-4 victory.

The series concludes Sunday with Detroit veteran RHP Charlie Morton (7-8, 5.42 ERA) taking on the Phillies’ lefty Cristopher Sanchez (9-3, 2.55).

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