Tarik Skubal Returns with Outstanding Performance Despite Tigers’ Defeat
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal overcame an injury scare and delivered a solid performance, allowing only one run in six innings, although his team fell 3-1 to an inspired Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.
Skubal, who had felt discomfort in his left side in his previous outing, gave up seven hits, struck out nine batters and issued two walks in a 102-pitch outing.
The current American League Cy Young Award winner and pitching Triple Crown winner was replaced by right-handed pitcher Troy Melton in the seventh inning, with the score tied at 1. Nine pitches later, José Ramírez hit a two-run home run that gave the Guardians a 3-1 lead.
The Tigers, leaders of the American League Central Division, have lost 14 of their last 21 games.
Detroit desperately hoped to win the last game of the series against Cleveland, who are in second place and have achieved seven consecutive victories, and 11 in their last 12 games, closing to 3.5 games away.
Both teams will face each other in three more games next week.
Cleveland took advantage of a mistake by Skubal in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a 0-2 changeup that stayed in the strike zone, resulting in a solo home run by Jhonkensy Noel that tied the game. In the same inning, Skubal, 28, struck out Brayan Rocchio, setting a new personal record of 229 strikeouts in a single season.
The lefty, known for his speed, was most effective in the final innings, striking out David Fry with a 101.5 mph pitch, the third-fastest pitch of the season, to end the top of the fifth inning.
The sixth inning began with 82 pitches and he struck out Gabriel Arias in four pitches and Noel in four more pitches. With the opportunity to get out of the sixth inning, Rocchio hit a triple that right fielder Wenceel Perez almost caught.
The Guardians extended the inning with a walk to Austin Hedges on a pitch that Skubal thought was a strike, showing his surprise.
Skubal responded by striking out Nolan Jones with a 99.5 mph pitch to end the sixth inning in a performance that demonstrated his good physical condition. He threw 100 pitches for the third time this season, two fewer than his season-high of 105 in July against Texas.
This was Skubal’s seventh game this season in which he pitched at least six innings allowing one run or fewer, tying Mickey Lolich (1972) for the most in Tigers history.
