Tarik Skubal racked up a season-high 10 strikeouts against Boston last month. The Red Sox have the misfortune of facing the two-time Cy Young Award winner in the opener of a three-game series in Detroit on Monday night.

Skubal held the Red Sox to one run and four hits in six innings on April 18 while recording his most recent victory. Skubal (3-2, 2.70 ERA) deserved a better fate in his last outing when he gave up just two runs in seven innings at Atlanta. The Braves pulled out a 4-3 win when Tigers closer Kenley Jansen gave up a walk-off home run.

In the seventh, Skubal gave his team a big scare when he took off his glove and rubbed his forearm after throwing a fastball. Following a mound visit by manager A.J. Hinch and a trainer, Skubal remained in the game and struck out the side.

“I don’t really know how to explain it,” Skubal said. “I just needed a little bit of time. Whatever happened, I just needed a little bit of time and the symptoms I experienced on that one throw went away. Obviously, I felt better after that.”

There were no lingering effects since that start.

“It’s all systems go for tomorrow,” Hinch said on Sunday.

Both runs Skubal allowed last week came in the first inning.

“It looked like he got better as the game went on,” Hinch said. “It looked like his stuff got a little better and his execution got a little better and we really played good defense. It’s what you need to do behind Tarik. (Atlanta) is a high-contact team and you’ve got to make plays and we did. He put us in a position to win.”

Skubal is 3-2 with a 4.33 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox.

Left-hander Payton Tolle (0-1, 3.38 ERA) will be making his third start of the season for Boston. The 23-year-old appeared in seven games last season.

Tolle sparkled in his season debut on April 23, holding the New York Yankees to one run in six innings while piling up 11 strikeouts. He wound up with a no-decision.

In his second start, Tolle gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings to Toronto on Tuesday. He had control problems in that contest, issuing four walks.

“Just didn’t feel myself,” Tolle said. “Really thought I was pressing a little too hard on myself. Even (fellow starting pitcher) Connelly (Early) came in here and said, ‘Hey, you look like you’re beating yourself up.’ So, definitely felt like I got in my own way (Tuesday).”

Tolle relied heavily on fastballs against the Blue Jays and his velocity dropped toward the end of his outing.

“It wasn’t like he was soft-tossing, but it was something we were aware of going into the game,” interim manager Chad Tracy said.

Tolle pitched an inning of scoreless relief against the Tigers last season.

The reeling Red Sox have lost four of their last five games. Boston left 13 runners on base in a 3-1, 10-inning loss to Houston at home Sunday.

Detroit has won all five of its home series. It took two of three from Texas this weekend.

–Field Level Media

The New York Yankees are experiencing virtually no difficulties making contact and piling up big numbers against the Baltimore Orioles.

After a trio of blowout wins, the Yankees seek another productive showing at the plate Monday night when they host the Orioles in the finale of a four-game series.

The Yankees are 13-2 in their past 15 games after pulling away for an 11-3 rout on Sunday afternoon. New York has outscored the Orioles 27-9 in the series, has won the past eight meetings, is 11-1 over the past 12 encounters, and is attempting to complete a four-game sweep of Baltimore at home for the first time since Sept. 11-13, 2020.

During this series, the Yankees have collected 37 hits, 16 walks and gone 12-for-28 with runners in scoring position. New York blasted three more homers Sunday as Ben Rice homered in the first inning, Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer in the third and Jasson Dominguez started a seven-run eighth with a two-run homer.

Rice exited Sunday’s game with a bruised left hand after fielding a pickoff throw at first base from Max Fried in the third inning. Rice is day-to-day after X-rays were negative, and if he gets the game off, Paul Goldschmidt would start at first base after getting a two-run single in the big inning.

“We still got to finish the job tomorrow,” Rice said. “So, the team’s in a good spot. So, we just got to stay with it. Stay with it, it’s super early but of course we like where we’re at.”

The Orioles are getting outscored 38-14 during a four-game losing streak since hitting two grand slams in a 10-3 win over the Houston Astros in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday. Baltimore has dropped 12 of its past 18 games after its relievers conceded eight runs on Sunday.

After getting seven hits in the first two games, the Orioles finished with nine Sunday but eight of those hits were singles. Baltimore has 22 hits during its four-game skid while striking out 43 times in that span.

Gunnar Henderson was not in the Orioles’ lineup for the first time this season but is expected to return after being available as a pinch hitter Sunday. Pete Alonso went 2-for-4 on Sunday but Adley Rutschman is hitless in his past 12 at-bats.

“For me it’s at a crucial point where what team do you want to be?” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. “We can fold up and just think everything will turn around just by itself or we’re going to put the work in and really make this happen. I feel like with those guys in the clubhouse, it’ll be the latter. These guys will put the work in.”

Cam Schlittler (4-1, 1.51 ERA), who is holding hitters to a .168 batting average, closes the series for the Yankees.

Schlittler is attempting to produce consecutive scoreless starts for the second time this season and third time since debuting July 9. Schlittler has allowed one earned run in his past 20 innings over his last three starts since allowing three runs apiece against the A’s and Tampa Bay on April 7 and 12.

Schlittler last pitched Tuesday when he outdueled Jacob deGrom by allowing three hits in six scoreless innings of a 3-2 win at Texas.

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA in two starts against Baltimore.

Shane Baz (1-2, 4.50) pitches for the Orioles and is coming off his first win for his new team. Baz last pitched in Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Houston Astros and allowed one run on six hits in 5 2/3 innings after allowing 11 runs over his previous three starts.

Baz is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in six career starts against the Yankees.

–Field Level Media

Taylor Hall scored the overtime winning goal to give the host Carolina Hurricanes a 3-2 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday in Raleigh, N.C.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored once and added an assist, while Seth Jarvis tallied once for the Hurricanes, who lead the Eastern Conference semifinal series 2-0.

With time ticking down in the first overtime period, Hall drove to the net during a rush led by Sean Walker, had his first attempt stopped, but during the ensuing scramble pounced on a loose puck and got it past Flyer goalkeeper Dan Vladar at 18:54 of overtime.

It was Hall’s first career playoff overtime goal during his seven seasons of post-season play.

Goaltender Frederik Andersen make 34 saves for the Hurricanes, who erased an early two-goal deficit. Jackson Blake collected a pair of assists.

Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier tallied for the Flyers, while Vladar stopped 39 shots.

The Flyers had a golden chance to win with an early overtime power play but could not convert.

The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Thursday.

The Flyers competed much better than in the series-opening 3-0 loss.

Drysdale’s power-play goal opened the scoring at 4:02. Amidst a flurry at the net, the puck came out to the high slot and Drysdale stepped in from his point position to bury the chance.

The score marked the first time during this year’s playoffs that Carolina has trailed in a game.

It was also Philadelphia’s first goal during the opening period of the playoffs, and the first time the Hurricanes surrendered a goal in the first period.

Couturier doubled the lead 39 seconds later with his first tally of the playoffs. From behind the net, Carl Grundstrom slipped a pass to the top the crease and Couturier was on the spot to slip home the chance.

That sparked the Hurricanes and they were rewarded when Ehlers netted his first goal of the playoffs with a power-play tally of his own. Ehlers set up at right face-off dot and hammered a one-timer set up by Blake and K’Andre Miller at 10:21 of the first period.

Jarvis tied the clash with 8:39 remaining in regulation time, joining an odd-man rush and finding the mark after a drop pass from Ehlers as he reached the right circle.

Carolina outshot the visitors, 35-21, through 60 minutes, but the Flyers pumped 15 shots on goal to eight for the Hurricanes in overtime.

–Field Level Media