Tigers beat Orioles, lose to Yankees in split squad action

There are only four games left on the Grapefruit League calendar.

On Friday night, Tarik Skubal led the Detroit Tigers to a 9-1 road victory over the Baltimore Orioles . Meanwhile the bats struggled with Carlos Rodon as they lost 4-0 to the Yankees in split squad action in Lakeland.

Tigers 9, Orioles 1

The reigning and defending AL Cy Young winner looked primed for the season to start. Gary Sanchez got to him for a solo shot in the fifth, but otherwise Skubal was busy punching out nine Orioles in a pretty stacked lineup, allowing only two other hits and no walks. He went six frames and looked 100 percent ready for Opening Day.

Manager AJ Hinch was marveling about Skubal in a dugout interview during the televised home game against the Yankees. The lefty specifically asked to pitch on the road throughout spring camp. That is a most unique request as most of the other top established starters are just getting their work in. Skubal is mentally prepping to take on the Dodgers and the Mariners out west to begin the season, and making sure he isn’t in his comfort zone.

There were plenty of good notes from this game. 20-year-old Josue Briceño, fresh off terrorizing the Arizona Fall League last October, took Albert Suarez deep in the second inning to open the scoring. He’s bound to play some first base and catch more and more as the season progresses as the Tigers work him back into action behind the dish after his knee injury last year. Briceño may well be the most dangerous hitter in a very well regarded farm system.

In the bottom of the first, Skubal struck out Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman, and then popped up Tyler O’Neill on a grand total of seven pitches.

Ryan Kreidler got them going again in the third with a one-out double. Zach McKinstry drew a walk and Trey Sweeney singled in Kreidler. McKinstry moved to third on the play, and Jake Rogers lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 Tigers.

Skubal then came out for the bottom of the third and struck out Ramon Urias and Jorge Mateo before Cedric Mullins lined out to first. That inning also took just seven pitches. Enough said.

The Tigers went on to score five more runs in the fourth and never looked back. The big hits were a two-run shot from Kreidler, his second homer of the spring, and a two-run double from Jake Rogers.

Sanchez got to Skubal for a solo shot in the fifth, but McKinstry answered with his first home run of the spring in the top of the sixth to make it 9-1 Tigers.

Jason Foley pitched around a couple of singles in the seventh. Beau Brieske had a strikeout and allowed just a walk in the eighth, and Brant Hurter got the last three outs without any trouble.

Yankees 4, Tigers 0

Keider Montero made his final start of the spring and it was a good one. He was a little wild out of the gate, surrendering a solo shot to Austin Wells and then a double to Ben Rice to start the game. At that point he locked it down and threw a good game, scattering two other hits and walking just one against four strikeouts.

The Tigers had no luck against a tough lefty in Carlos Rodon. Riley Greene, Javy Báez, Spencer Torkelson, and Wenceel Pérez all hit the ball hard, but only Greene, Keith, and Dillon Dingler managed even a single. Pérez cracked a 412 footer to straightaway center field, but Trent Grisham had no trouble hauling the deep drive in. There’s wasn’t much else to speak of from the offense.

Rodon asked Tarik Skubal about his changeup grip and release this offseason, and Skubal obliged by showing him the pitch. We may regret this as Rodon threw some pretty good changeups in this one. The Pitching Ninja also passed along Skubal’s request for Clayton Kershaw’s slider grip, which the Dodgers legend recently obliged him. Somewhere an old coach of mine is having palpitations at this pitching brotherhood commiseration.

Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle got into this one late and Clark drilled a single back up the middle against left-hander Brent Headrick. In McGonigle’s one at-bat he got a fastball and squared it up at 102 mph but got under it a little too much, flying out to center field.

Pérez made a nice play on a drive off the bat of Ben Rice in the top of the seventh. He had to get back to the warning track and made an over the shoulder basket catch. Pérez has the speed to hold down the fort for a while until Parker Meadows returns, but it’s going to be a bit of learning on the job.

Sean Guenther and John Brebbia were both solid in relief of Montero. Tyler Holton, however, had a rare rough day at the office. He surrendered three runs in the seventh, all courtesy of a grooved first pitch sinker to Austin Wells, which the catcher mashed for a three-run homer.

Will Vest followed that minor carnage with a very good inning of work with a strikeout. Triple-A lefty PJ Poulin struck out two in the top of the ninth.

The Tigers now take on the Braves at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday in Lakeland, and then the Phillies at 12:05 p.m. ET on Sunday on the road. Jack Flaherty and Reese Olson are scheduled to make their final tune-up starts of the season.

On Sunday evening the Tigers will head out to San Francisco for two at Oracle Park before the season gets underway on Thursday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Casey Mize and Jackson Jobe seem likely to handle those two exhibition matchups. Expect some more cuts before the Tigers head out west for their final preparation for Opening Day.