Rookie Spencer Torkelson hit a long two-run homer and had two of Detroit’s three hits, and the Tigers handed the Kansas City Royals their fifth straight loss, 2-1 on Friday night.

Miguel Cabrera doubled with one out in the seventh, leaving him five hits shy of 3,000. Torkelson followed one out later with a 432-foot bomb to left off Brad Keller, the second of his career. The rookie also had a two-out single in the fifth.
Tarik Skubal fanned six of the first eight Royals batters and retired the first 11 before Salvador Perez squeezed a grounder through the left side for the game’s first hit with two out in the fourth.

Jacob Barnes (1-0) worked 1 1/3 hitless innings, Joe Jimenez handled the eighth and Michael Fulmer pitched a perfect ninth for his first save as the Tigers combined on a five-hitter.

Keller (0-1) didn’t allow a baserunner until a fourth-inning walk to Austin Meadows. He worked seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Skubal finished with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, and the only run he gave up was unearned. Andrew Benintendi reached with two out in the fourth on an error by shortstop Harold Castro, and Carlos Santana then singled to drive in Perez.

UP NEXT
Detroit’s Matt Manning (0-0, 1.50 ERA) matches up with Kansas City’s Kris Bubic (0-1, 67.50) on Saturday. Pregame begins at 2:30, with game time at 3:10 this afternoon. You can hear the broadcast from the Royals’ Radio Network on KMMO AM 1300.