Robbie Grossman's leadoff home run set the tone and Detroit starter Tarik Skubal tossed five scoreless innings to help the host Tigers top the Boston Red Sox 8-1 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday afternoon.

Victor Reyes (2-for-4) totaled three RBIs and Jonathan Schoop (2-for-5) drove in two for Detroit, which pounded out 13 hits to bounce back from a 4-1 loss Wednesday following its 4-2 series opening victory. Skubal (7-10) struck out four while allowing just five hits and walking one.

Detroit has won six of its last nine games and is 13-7 since the All-Star break.

Alex Verdugo (2-for-3) drove in the lone run in Boston's nine-hit day. Red Sox starter Martin Perez (7-8) took the loss after lasting only 1 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out two batters.

Boston has dropped seven of its last nine and has not won a series since taking three of four against the rival New York Yankees on July 22-25.

Grossman's 17th homer of the season on Perez's third pitch of the game put Detroit ahead 1-0.

Reyes tripled to open the home second inning and scored on Zack Short's sacrifice fly. Schoop's bases-loaded groundout to the mound made it 3-0 later in the inning.

Jeimer Candelario's RBI double and Reyes' two-run triple doubled the Tigers' lead in the fifth. Schoop added an RBI single in the sixth and Reyes plated another run for Detroit with a 5-4 force out in the seventh.

Verdugo's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the eighth put Boston on the board.

The Red Sox left 10 runners on base and finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

--Field Level Media