Tarik Skubal's 14-strikeout gem gives Tigers playoff momentum after late-season swoon

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler knew two hours before the first pitch in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against Cleveland on Tuesday that Tarik Skubal was going to be more dominant than usual.

“As soon as he walked through the door I saw the intensity," Dingler said. “It was fun to be a part of.”

After being a part of two frustrating losses to the Guardians the past two weeks as the Tigers spiraled through a historic collapse that cost them the AL Central title, Skubal was determined that Detroit would seize the early momentum in the best-of-three playoff series.

The left-hander tied Detroit's postseason record with 14 strikeouts in 7 2/3 overpowering innings as the Tigers beat the Guardians 2-1.

“It means a lot to take the ball Game 1. And it doesn’t really matter how we got here. We got in,” Skubal said. “Everybody’s in the same boat. And we’re up 1-0 in a best-of-three. So it doesn’t really matter how you get here, as long as you get in.”

Skubal equaled Joe Coleman’s team mark of 14 strikeouts in Game 3 of the 1972 American League Championship Series against the Oakland Athletics.

“I understand, but it doesn’t really matter. Winning is what matters to me. It’s mattered to me all year,” Skubal said. “I think winning is the most important thing in sports. It’s why you play, is to win.”

Skubal, favored to win his second straight AL Cy Young Award, went 13-6 during the regular season with an AL-low 2.21 ERA. He ranked second in strikeouts with 241. However, the Tigers lost each of Skubal's final three starts, including two vs. Cleveland, and ended up with a wild card after blowing a big division lead.

It was all part of Detroit going an AL-worst 7-17 in September. Meanwhile, the Guardians won 19 of their final 23 games and rallied from 15 1/2 games back in early July to win their second consecutive AL Central crown.

“He’s a different kind of pitcher. Most guys that are pitching for that day are intense and more focused,” Dingler said. “He has the ability to be the same person — like joke around like he would usually be — and lock it in. Today he was straight business.”

Skubal also showed he wasn't shaken, pitching on the same mound where one week ago he threw a 99 mph fastball that struck Cleveland designated hitter David Fry in the nose and face during the sixth inning.

“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,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s vintage Tarik Skubal for those who don’t know him. This is what you get.”

Skubal threw 107 pitches, one off his career high, including 73 strikes. He allowed one run and three hits, with two being infield singles, and walked three. His fastball averaged 99.1 mph, 1.6 mph above his season average.

Skubal's slider was his second-least used pitch during the regular season, but he went to the slider often on Tuesday. His 28 sliders were the most he's thrown in a game since his third season in the majors in 2022.

Cleveland batters whiffed on 26 pitches, tied for the second-most against Skubal this season.

“I was just kind of worried about executing each pitch and trying to do my best to live pitch-by-pitch and just do what makes me a good pitcher, and that’s getting ahead and getting guys into leverage,” Skubal said.

One of the infield singles allowed by Skubal was a slow grounder by Angel Martinez in the fourth. The other was Gabriel Arias' high chopper over Skubal that scored Martinez.

Detroit regained the lead when Riley Greene scored on Zach McKinstry’s safety squeeze.

The Guardians will be glad not to see Skubal again this season. In five starts against them, Skubal was 2-1 with a 0.76 ERA and held Cleveland to a .156 batting average. He threw a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts on May 25, and seven shutout innings on July 6.

It was quite a change from 2020-24, when Skubal was 2-3 with a 2.46 ERA in 10 starts against Cleveland. That included Game 5 of the 2024 AL Division Series, when Skubal took the loss after giving up a tiebreaking grand slam to Lane Thomas in the fifth inning.

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