COMSTOCK PARK, MI – Defending two-time American League Cy Young Award-winner Tarik Skubal dazzled in his rehab appearance with the West Michigan Whitecaps as they blanked the Dayton Dragons 8-0 in front of 8,967 fans Sunday afternoon at LMCU Ballpark.
Skubal saw his first live game action since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on May 4, and he didn’t skip a beat, throwing 44 of 54 pitches for strikes while completing five shutout innings with six strikeouts in the victory. West Michigan secured its first series win since completing a six-game sweep of the Lansing Lugnuts with a 12-4 win on April 19.
The Whitecaps grabbed the lead in the first inning as outfielder Jackson Strong hit homered for the third consecutive game — a two-run blast that put the ‘Caps ahead 2-0. West Michigan added to its lead in the third as first baseman Garrett Pennington delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 4-0. Meanwhile, Skubal completed five scoreless innings, allowing just two baserunners, as the ‘Caps sprinkled four runs across the next three innings, highlighted by a two-run double from Ricardo Hurtado and an RBI double from Woody Hadeen to increase the lead to 8-0. Whitecaps relievers Ryan Harvey, Luke Stofel and CJ Weins combined to blank the Dragons over the final four innings, adding two strikeouts to put the finishing touches on the shutout victory and secure the club’s first series win since April 19…