​Jul 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) is greeted by right fielder Kerry Carpenter (30) after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images After a thrilling ninth-inning comeback for the win on Friday night, the Tigers had their first crack at a series win against the Angels somewhere in the greater Los Angeles area. The drama was racheted-down considerably on Saturday night, though, with a convincing 7-0 win, ensuring a series victory.Making his fourteenth start for the Tigers this year was Tarik Skubal. He’s had some short starts recently; his previous two starts only saw him complete five innings each. (Somewhere up there, Mickey Lolich shed a single tear.) He’d been more hittable in those starts, too — but let’s not forget, he underwent surgery on his throwing elbow earlier this season and the fact that he’s 100 percent now is something of a medical miracle.Facing the Tigers was Grayson Rodriguez, who’s having a rough season, his first for the Angels after one full season in Baltimore, back in 2024. A variety of elbow and lat injuries kept him on the shelf for the entirety of the 2025 season and the start of 2026. But, after returning, he had back trouble that sat him down for almost a month. It’s been a tough go for him since being a highly-touted prospect drafted in 2018.Kevin McGonigle hit a hustle-double which Mike Trout couldn’t quite corral to lead off the game. Dillon Dingler got hit for the second consecutive at-bat, dating back to Friday night, to put the first two runners on. Colt Keith followed with a sharp single to centre to score McGonigle and put runners at the corners. After Riley Greene struck out, Spencer Torkelson cracked a long, loud home run to left-centre to put the Tigers up 4-0 early.View LinkEven the outs were hard-hit balls for the Tigers: Matt Vierling lined-out to left for the third out in the first, and it was 107.4 mph (172.8 km/h, 48.0 m/s) off the bat.The baserunners kept coming in the second, as James Outman and McGonigle both singled to lead off. Dingler got hit again — yes, his third consecutive hit-by-pitch — and the bases were loaded. Keith hit a deep fly ball to Trout in centre, Outman scored, everyone else moved up a base, and it was 5-0. Greene’s deep line drive, also to centre, scored McGonigle for another run.With two out in the fourth, Dingler did not get hit by a pitch: he doubled to the left-centrefield wall! Keith then hit a very, very high chopper that gave him enough time to get to first as Dingler took third. Alas, Greene followed with a deep flyout and that ended the inning.Meanwhile, Skubal was far less nibbly than he’d been in those previous starts in which he only got 15 outs each — he was going right at hitters and getting groundouts on far fewer pitches. Through four innings he’d o