Tarik Skubal pitches 7 scoreless innings in 2024 ALDS Game 2

CLEVELAND – Tarik Skubal strutted off the mound at Progressive Field in the sixth inning Monday and threw his hands in the air as if to ask the sellout crowd, “Aren’t you entertained?”

The 27-year-old left-hander got double-play ball in the fifth and sixth frames of Game 2 of the AL Division Series, breaking a scoreless tie after both innings were completed. Each time, he stopped a potential threat and silenced the 33,650 fans in the audience.

Skubal said he had no explanation for his reaction: he had never done anything like that in his life. But for now it was justified. The Tigers’ ace dominated the Guardians, pitching seven scoreless innings as Detroit won Game 2 3-0 before heading home.

“That was – again, I don’t really know where I was mentally in situations like that, and I probably shouldn’t say bad words with the cameras on me and the kids watching, but it was just emotions, raw emotions. said Skubal. “First of all, the environment here was great. I think Cleveland fans, it was incredible to play in that environment, hostile, all that stuff that as a kid you dream about playing and pitching in front of. I guess it was kind of both.”

Skubal opened the day with four perfect innings before Josh Naylor hit a one-out double in the fifth inning. He became only the third pitcher in Detroit history to start the postseason with at least four perfect frames, joining Justin Verlander in Game 5 of the 2013 ALDS and Jeremy Bonderman in Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS.

“He was outstanding,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “He’s the best pitcher in the American League in terms of starts all year long for good reason. He threw us off balance. He kept making pitches. We didn’t think outside the box much, if at all. We knew we had a lot of work ahead of us. He was special tonight.”

Of Skubal’s 92 pitches, 87 were fastballs or changeups. He used only five sliders and no knuckle curves as the evening shadows fell across the infield.

It almost didn’t matter what he threw: the guards couldn’t harm him. And when they did, they didn’t stay on the basepaths long.

“It was really hard to see,” catcher Jake Rogers said. “It was hard to catch. I think just the sheer difference in speed between the two pitches, I think we ran with it and he did incredibly well with it. “We just kept going. That’s Skub, I think it was kind of a Vibes thing.

Such a performance from Skubal was also urgently needed.

After being shut out in Game 1, the Tigers appeared to be on track to do it again, as Cleveland starter Matthew Boyd went 4 2/3 scoreless innings before turning the game over to the best bullpen in baseball .

In a pitchers’ duel, the Tigers leaned on the man certain to win the AL Cy Young Award this year.

“The performances he shows us are a jolt for us,” said Matt Vierling. “To see a zero on the board in the sixth or seventh inning and we have a chance to win, I think there’s something to that. I don’t want to take anything away from any other starter, but seeing him go out and do that over and over again definitely motivates us, maybe in some subconscious way or something, to keep grinding.”

In his first two career postseason starts, Skubal has now logged 13 scoreless innings, allowing just seven hits and one walk to go with 14 strikeouts against the Astros and Guardians. He became only the sixth pitcher in MLB history to record consecutive starts of six or more scoreless innings early in his playoff career.

He is also the first pitcher in AL/NL history to throw at least six scoreless innings while allowing fewer than six baserunners in his first two career postseason starts. The offense and defense benefited from this energy throughout the game.

“He’s as emotional as you can get at the right time and at the right volume,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “October is made for that. It’s also built for October. Watching him over and over again, you kind of wonder, “When is the big moment?” When is the big strikeout? When is the big pitch?’

“He wants to lead this team and he does. It’s one thing to want it. It’s another thing to go out and do it. And he showed his dominance today against a strong team.”