Skubal, who ended up allowing four runs (two earned) in 6 1/3 innings, created his own mess in the first.

Leadoff hitter Marcus Semien hit a bouncer off Skubal’s glove. He fielded it quickly but lollipopped his throw to first base. Torkelson came off the bag to catch it and couldn’t get back to the bag ahead of Semien. Seager, a left-handed pull hitter, followed with an opposite-field punch shot through the left side of the infield.

After Skubal walked Jonah Heim on four pitches, Adolis Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Then things settled in. Skubal put down 14 of the next 15 hitters, racking up five strikeouts and four ground-ball outs.

It was déjà vu in the sixth. Second baseman Colt Keith misplayed Semien’s ground ball (E-4) and Seager again punched an opposite-field single. With one out, Garcia launched a first-pitch change-up off the top of the wall in right-center, RBI double.

The Tigers, as they have in this situation all year, moved their infield in with runners at second and third and one out. Heim foiled the strategy when his soft liner (exit velocity, 58 mph) barely got over the lunging Keith. Two more runs scored and the Tigers trailed 4-1.

Skubal, facing eight right-handed hitters in the Rangers lineup, sequenced all five of his pitches, though he leaned on his sinker and change-up. He got 11 of his 13 swings and misses with those two pitches. He also threw 22 first-pitch strikes to the 27 hitters he faced.

They got the game in just ahead of severe thunderstorms. The small crowd, announced at 10,259, was asked to move to the concourse during the bottom of the ninth.

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