Tarik Skubal matched Hunter Brown in a classic pitching duel, carving seven scoreless frames with 10 strikeouts as Detroit and Houston played to a 0-0 tie into extras. Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan kept the gates shut for Detroit, setting the stage for a dramatic 10th inning. Gleyber Torres drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, forcing home the automatic runner for a walk-off 1-0 win that kept Detroit within a single game of a series sweep and strengthened their hold on the season-series edge for potential postseason seeding.

The defeat stalled Houston’s offense, which had multiple chances early against Skubal and Brown but could not break through. Detroit’s offense finally delivered in the 10th, backing a Cy Young-caliber start with a timely walk and clutch decision by Torres. The Tigers’ defense came through, too, with Wenceel Pérez robbing a homer and a relay throw stopping a ninth-inning threat. For fantasy managers, Skubal’s elite strikeout pace and Torres’ late-clutch approach provide a pair of provocative signals for lineup construction down the stretch.

In a marquee AL clash, the result underscores the strategic chess match between two teams with playoff ambitions. Detroit’s win-notes highlight a rotation that can carry the club late into the season, while Houston will look to reassert its usual threat in the coming games. The series shifts to a possible Sunday finish, with both clubs sending their top arms to the mound as the title chase tightens and fantasy rosters recalibrate around hot hands and bullpen usage in high-leverage moments.

Detroit jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning after Luke Keaschall’s misplay opened the door for three straight two-out hits, turning an ordinary frame into a five-run eruption. The Tigers never looked back, riding a dominant early cushion to a 7-0 win.

Dillon Dingler delivered a pivotal two-out, two-run single, Zach McKinstry followed with an RBI single, and Javier Báez added an RBI double on a grounder that caromed off the bag, all against a rattled Twins starter Pierson Ohl. Spencer Turnbull scattered six scoreless innings to coast the way for Detroit, while Minnesota was stifled to just two hits and seven runners left on base.

Jose Ureña held Detroit’s lead with 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for Minnesota, but the Twins’ offense never fired, and a 26-minute rain delay before the first pitch did little to alter the result. The loss marks Minnesota’s latest stumble as Detroit solidifies their control in this matchup, with the Tigers piling up extra outs and feeding off them late into the game.

For fantasy players, the game highlighted Detroit’s top-heavy night through Turnbull’s shutdown performance and the early RBI barrage from Dingler, McKinstry, and Báez, while Minnesota’s lineup offered little upside outside a few quality at-bats before the game got away.

Detroit erupted early and never looked back, routing Minnesota 7-0 as Charlie Morton carved six scoreless frames in his third start with the Tigers. Five first-inning runs, sparked by Colt Keith’s run-scoring swing and a misplayed ball by Luke Keaschall, set the tone. Dillon Dingler delivered a two-run single and Javier Báez added an RBI double as Detroit capitalized on a shaky Twins starter, then Dingler’s RBI double in the third and Báez’s sac fly closed the scoring.

Detroit’s lineup piled up hits from Gleyber Torres, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene and McKinstry, with Dingler totaling two doubles and three RBIs. Dingler, Báez and Torres supplied the big hits, while Morton, despite command struggles (three walks, one hit-by-pitch), avoided trouble and faded strong after six innings. The victory extends Detroit’s lead in the AL Central and fuels optimism for fantasy managers counting on this offense to stay hot as the schedule tightens.

Key notes for fantasy: Dingler’s two-hit, three-RBI day anchors his growing value, especially in daily formats; Torres’ two-hit performance rekindles optimism after a hitting slump; Báez’s multi-RBI day adds upper-half upside in deeper rosters. Morton’s six innings without allowing a run provides a potential streamer option in favorable matchups, while Torkelson and Pérez showed cautious but productive plate discipline that could translate into continued run production against suspect pitching.

Wenceel Pérez exited Detroit’s game with a bruise on his right foot after fouling a slider off Yusei Kikuchi in the second inning, but X‑rays and an MRI came back negative, keeping him off the injured list for now. He finished 2-for-2 with a triple before leaving in the fourth. Pérez owns a .267/.?/.??? line with nine homers across 58 games, and a recent hot streak that saw him go 14-for-33 (.424) with four walks in his last 10. The Tigers shuffled, moving Javier Báez from shortstop to center and bringing Zach McKinstry off the bench to fill in. The club will monitor Pérez closely as they aim to have him available for Sunday’s series finale with Los Angeles.

Fantasy angles center on Pérez’s health and how Detroit aligns in the coming days. If Pérez sits, Báez could see more steady at-bats in center and McKinstry could handle the infield, potentially shifting lineup dynamics for the Tigers. Detroit absorbed a 7-4 defeat, but the immediate takeaway remains: Pérez is day-to-day, and the Tigers will lean on their depth while they treat the bruise and plan for Sunday’s readiness.