The Detroit Tigers played like the Tampa Bay Rays to beat the Tampa Bay Rays.
Veteran shortstop Javier Báez led the way with hard hits, aggressive base running and sharp defense. For years, the Rays have feasted on that recipe to down opposing teams, but in Monday’s opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Field, it was the Tigers chowing down en route to a 7-1 win.
“Good, aggressive baseball,” said veteran outfielder Mark Canha, who sparked the seven-run attack with a solo home run. “We ran the heck out of the bases. Javy was all over the basepaths and causing havoc. It’s just a fun brand of baseball. That’s what we want our identity to be.”
Left-hander Tarik Skubal, who commands a 1.82 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 29⅔ innings, received more than enough run support as he dominated for six scoreless innings on 86 pitches, striking out nine without a walk.
It was his best of five starts this season.
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The Tigers (13-10) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Canha launched a solo home run to left-center field off right-hander Zack Littell.
“It’s nice to get Skub a run,” Canha said.
After that, the Tigers played their fun brand of baseball.
Báez ripped a 93 mph sinker — 109.5 mph exit velocity — to center for an RBI single with two outs in the second inning. He took second base on an unsuccessful throw home from the center fielder, and soon after he raced home from second base on a throwing error by shortstop José Caballero.
Those plays put the Tigers ahead, 3-0.
Báez took similar action in the fifth inning when he ripped a middle-down slider — featuring a 109.6 mph exit velocity — for a single to center. He advanced to second base on a single then scored from second base on another throwing error by Caballero. Canha, the next batter, delivered an RBI single.
