CLEVELAND — Jake Rogers lay splayed out face down at home plate. If this were a crime scene he would’ve been outlined in chalk.

In a way it was a crime scene.

The Detroit Tigers’ catcher somehow turned a 261-foot bloop into shallow center field into a two-run, little-league homer, essentially stealing home, which helped kick start an 8-2 victory over the Central Division-leading Cleveland Guardians in the first of four at Progressive Field Monday night.

Rookie Justyn-Henry Malloy got the Tigers off and running with a two-run home run in the first inning off veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco. It was his seventh homer, his fourth this month.

Then Rogers came to bat with Wenceel Perez at third and two outs in the second. Center fielder Angel Martinez made a diving attempt to catch his sinking soft liner. The ball got by him and then, once he ran it down, he slipped and fell and had to shovel the ball to left fielder Steven Kwan.

Rogers, with third base coach Joey Cora waving furiously, kept chugging around third. Kwan got the ball in quickly and shortstop Brayan Rocchio made a strong throw to the plate. The ball beat Rogers, but somehow, sliding head first, arms extended, he eluded the tag.

The Guardians challenged the safe call, but it was upheld. The image of Rogers laying face down at the plate was priceless.

The play was scored a triple and an error was assessed to Martinez.

All that mattered, though, was the Tigers had staked All-Star lefty Tarik Skubal to a four-run lead.

Skubal, even though he had to kick off some rust after not making a start since July 12, never let the Guardians get into the game.

He ended up soldiering through seven innings, navigating around a career-high 10 hits to allow one run.

Eating the innings was vital with the Tigers deploying bullpen games Tuesday and Thursday in this series.

He struck out six, which is fewer than his norm, and got 15 misses on 54 swings, also fewer then his norm. But he won the big at-bats. He induced a 1-4-3 double-play to end the third, stranding two runners. He struck out Kwan to strand two in the fourth. He pitched around a leadoff double by Martinez in the fifth, striking out Jose Ramirez on three pitches.

The one run scored on a devious, two-out, bases-loaded bunt by catcher Austin Hedges in a laborious second inning that cost Skubal 28 pitches.

Matt Vierling (two doubles) and Mark Canha each had three hits. Canha and Perez (two hits) hit back-to-back doubles to score a run and chase Carrasco in the sixth. Perez, who advanced to third on a throw to the plate, scored the sixth run on one of two sacrifice flies by Gio Urshela.

Rookie Colt Keith, who hit the ball hard three times with nothing to show, belted his 10th home run of the season in the ninth.

The Tigers (50-51) have taken four of the last five against the Guardians. They also have the best record in baseball in July (12-5).

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