CLEVELAND — Tarik Skubal’s incredible start on Tuesday managed to feel both exceptional and routine. For the best pitcher in baseball, the line between a great outing and an otherworldly one is difficult to define.
Skubal carried the Tigers on his back and willed them to a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in a critical Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday afternoon at Progressive Field.
“Winning is what matters to me. It’s mattered to me all year. I think winning is the most important thing in sports,” Skubal said.
Skubal struck out the side in the seventh inning, then delivered several demonstrative fist pumps as he walked off the mound.
“I thought my outing was coming to a close,” he admitted.
In most starts, with the 100-pitch mark approaching, it would have been. But on Tuesday, the Tigers got just a little more.
Skubal returned for a career-best 14th strikeout in the eighth inning — he had reached 13 three times in the regular season — and tied a Tigers postseason record. He entrusted the final out of the eighth to Will Vest, who then navigated a wild ninth to secure the win.
Skubal allowed one run on three hits — none of which left the infield — in a 107-pitch masterpiece that lasted 7 2/3 innings.
“He was efficient. He was dominant. He had every pitch. He was up to 100 all the time. He didn’t let any big moment rattle him and then put an exclamation mark at the end,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
Skubal said early in his career he played the role of the stern starting pitcher, the “headphones-on” guy who wouldn’t interact with anyone before his starts. But after coming back from surgery in 2023, he vowed to lighten up and appreciate each day at the ballpark.
“I thought that’s what you were supposed to do,” he said. “Not that that’s wrong. Everyone’s unique, especially starters. It just wasn’t me.”
But catcher Dillon Dingler said he noticed a whiff of the old seriousness before Tuesday’s start.
“As soon as he walked in the door today, I saw the intensity, and I think that directly correlated to the performance out there. It was fun to be a part of,” Dingler said.
“He’s a different kind of pitcher. Most guys who are pitching that day are a little more intense, more focused in. Tarik has the ability to be the same person, joke around like he usually would, and then lock it in. I feel like today he was all business as soon as I saw him.”
Although much had been made of the Guardians’ familiarity with Skubal and vice versa, Dingler said it wasn’t an issue at all– other than making the game-planning meeting really short.
“It was more brief because of how many times we’ve faced these guys and how many were in the lineup today that we’ve seen all year,” Dingler said.
Skubal, who defers pitch selection to his catcher in all but the rarest circumstances, said he was most focused on execution.
“I just know that I was bought in on every single throw I made today,” he said. “What really matters is me trying to execute every pitch. I’m not perfect. I’m not going to be perfect. It’s just about being bought in. That’s what I mean by that. I think I did a good job of that.”
The Tigers handed Skubal a one-run lead in the seventh, and he responded by slamming the door, striking out the side on 99, 100 and 101 mph fastballs. At that point, he had retired nine in a row, seven on strikeouts. The fist pumps were his emphatic signature.
“That was awesome. I was waiting for it. I knew it was going to happen at some point,” Dingler said. “I saw like a 101 sinker on the inside corner, and I knew he was fired up. I could tell after I caught it. It tells me how much he cares and how intense he is.”
The Cy Young votes have already been cast, so Tuesday’s performance won’t sway any voters. But part of the impressive aspect of the game was that, for as incredible as it was, it didn’t necessarily feel exceptional. This was Skubal. Not every start is perfect, but it feels like every start has the potential to be. And Tuesday’s was awfully close to perfection.
“I’ve seen this all year. He’s likely to have hardware at the end of this year for precisely games like this that we’ve seen with maybe only one or two exceptions,” Hinch said. “I think his focus is determination. This guy trains super hard in the offseason. He never lets up. He carries us through so many of his starts. He’s an emotional leader. There’s a great presence with him. Everything changes the day that he pitches, which is what should be around an ace.
“He takes that responsibility, whether it’s Game 1 of the playoff series or some random June interleague game. Probably a little tick up at the level of importance with the playoffs, but it’s vintage Tarik Skubal for those who don’t know him. This is what you get.”
The only run scored by the Guardians came in the fourth, even though the ball never left the infield. Angel Martinez reached on an infield single past Skubal, then José Ramírez drew a walk. After back-to-back strikeouts, Gabriel Arias chopped one over the mound. Skubal, with his back to the plate, couldn’t make the play, and Martinez alertly sprinted home and dove in just ahead of the tag.
“The way Tarik Skubal threw the ball tonight, I don’t know if anybody scores off of him,” said Guardians manager Stephone Vogt. “He was absolutely outstanding. It took a little bit of Guards-ball turmoil there just to get one. But he was some kind of special today.”