One grand swing by the Tigers’ James McCann changed Tyler Skaggs’ outing in a hurry

Before Monday, Tyler Skaggs had started twice against the Detroit Tigers and given up one earned run in 11 2/3 innings.

Then he gave up four on one swing, James McCann hitting a grand slam in the third inning of a 9-3 Angels loss.

“I yanked it, tried to be too careful,” Skaggs said of a fastball that caught too much of the strike zone. “I maybe tried to guide in it there. It was the right pitch but not the right spot.”

Skaggs hadn’t given up as many as four runs in a game since April 18, the only one of his previous 10 starts in which that had happened.

Against the Tigers, he permitted nine baserunners in five innings. Manager Mike Scioscia praised Skaggs’ effort, saying that Skaggs struggled with location but otherwise deserved a better outcome.

The game-deciding moment started when Skaggs walked Dixon Machado, Detroit’s .209-batting No. 9 hitter. After a strikeout and two singles, Skaggs fell behind McCann 2-0 before coming in with a fastball.

“I gotta be better than that,” Skaggs said. “I still thought I threw the ball pretty well. A lot of bad breaks. I thought I had a lot of soft contact that got through the infield. One bad pitch. Seems to be the story for me.”

Return to Detroit

Justin Upton and Ian Kinsler returned to Detroit for the first time since leaving the Tigers.

Upton, back in the Angels lineup after sitting out one game because of a contused forearm, went one for four.

Kinsler singled in the seventh inning to break a hitless string of 13 at-bats. He is two for 27 on the trip.

Short hops

Shohei Ohtani didn’t play Monday but threw his heavier bullpen session and remains “penciled in” to start Wednesday, Scioscia said. …One day after making his Angels debut with two shutout innings against the New York Yankees, reliever Ian Krol was designated for assignment. Right-hander Akeel Morris was promoted from triple-A Salt Lake. He allowed four runs in two innings. …Shortstop Andrelton Simmons was briefly shaken up diving to stop an infield single in the third but stayed in the game.

jeff.miller@latimes.com