Torkelson Walk-Off Homer Lifts Tigers After Skubal’s Late Stumble

 

DETROIT — Tarik Skubal was dominant through six innings before faltering late, but Spencer Torkelson made sure it didn’t matter, delivering a walk-off home run in the ninth inning to give the Detroit Tigers a dramatic victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.

Torkelson didn’t just contribute — he won the game.

With the score tied in the ninth, Torkelson stepped to the plate and crushed a solo shot, ending the game instantly and sending the crowd into a frenzy. The blast capped a resilient effort by Detroit and erased the frustration from a game that nearly slipped away.

For much of the afternoon, it belonged to Skubal.

The left-hander carved through Milwaukee’s lineup early, allowing just one run over his first six innings while striking out five. He worked efficiently, keeping hitters off balance and escaping a sixth-inning threat after the Brewers opened with back-to-back bunt singles. Skubal responded by inducing an inning-ending double play, stranding runners and punctuating the moment with an emotional roar.

But the seventh inning changed everything.

Skubal allowed three straight hits without recording an out, leading to three runs and quickly undoing his dominant start. Despite the stumble, he finished with four runs allowed on seven hits over six-plus innings — and still lowered his season ERA to an impressive 2.72 with a 0.99 WHIP and 38 strikeouts against six walks in 36.1 innings.

Detroit’s offense refused to let the game slip away.

Jahmai Jones helped keep the Tigers within striking distance with a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning, setting the stage for Torkelson’s heroics one inning later.

Then came the defining moment.

Torkelson’s walk-off blast in the ninth didn’t just cap the game — it flipped the narrative. What had been shaping up as a frustrating collapse instead became a statement win, powered by one swing from Detroit’s slugging first baseman.

The Tigers now turn their attention to the road, where Skubal is expected to make his next start against the Atlanta Braves, carrying with him both the dominance he showed early — and the reminder that, on this team, there’s always someone ready to finish the job.