Winner: Tarik Skubal’s Reputation
Honestly, all one has to do here is gesture in the direction of Skubal’s line score for Game 1: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 14 K.
Ridiculous, but not exactly unexpected for a guy who’s on the verge of winning his second straight AL Cy Young Award.
Tuesday’s game was a master class in what makes Tarik Skubal, well, Tarik Skubal. He hit the strike zone with 73 of his 107 pitches and averaged99.1 mph on the fastball, at one point fanning three in a row on triple-digit heat after the Tigers grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
The short version is that the best pitcher in baseball did best pitcher in baseball stuff, and the result for the Tigers is a crucial 1-0 lead in a best-of-three series.
Loser: Tarik Skubal’s Defensive Highlight Reel
Sorry, Tarik, but you knew we just had to rib you over how the Guardians got their one run in the game:
Skubal had every Tigers fan holding their breath just by going after that ball, as anything that requires negotiating the back of the mound like that smacks of an ankle injury waiting to happen.
The worst was thankfully averted there, but it was for naught as Skubal struggled to field the ball cleanly and throw home in time to get the runner. The initial call was safe, but it was rightfully overturned upon review.
It wasn’t an error, nor did it cost the Tigers in the end. Even still, it surely gave Tigers fans a pang of familiarity after Skubal’s ill-fated between-the-legs toss in Cleveland last week.
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