Skubal gets standing ‘O’ after what might be final Tigers’ start
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DETROIT -- Trade deadline target Tarik Skubal and Detroit fans gave each other a warm farewell Wednesday, just in case this was the two-time Cy Young Award winner’s final appearance in a Tigers jersey.
What happened after Skubal left made it all the more likely this was indeed goodbye.
Skubal was cheered at every opportunity by a crowd of 34,406 while taking a shutout into the seventh inning against Baltimore, but then the Orioles rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat Detroit 10-9 in 12 innings. The loss leaves the Tigers 51-58 and well outside playoff position in the final year they have Skubal under contract.
The vibes were great early. Skubal got first standing ovation came when he struck out leadoff hitter Taylor Ward on a 3-2 changeup to record his 1,000th career strikeout.
“For some reason, strikeout marks hit differently for me,” he said. “Reaching 200 strikeouts for the first time was a huge milestone for me, and as I was getting close to 1,000, it just felt really cool.”
He reached the mark in 857 innings, breaking Max Scherzer’s franchise-best mark of 944 2/3 innings.
He got another ovation when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch removed him after Leody Tavares’ RBI single with two out in the seventh.
“It is always special when our fans get to their feet and give you a pretty good ovation,” he said. “Hopefully, they feel like I’ve given everything to the team and the city, because I truly have.”
The Tigers led 7-1 when Skubal came out and appeared to be well on their way to a win over a team they could be battling for a wild-card spot in September. Instead, the Orioles turned one seventh-inning run into five, tied the game with two in the eighth, then got three more in extra innings.
“Obviously, this was a tough one,” the 29-year-old said. “We were up 7-0 and end up losing. … I don’t even know what the final score was, but this one hurts.”
The Tigers seem increasingly likely to deal their ace ahead of next Monday’s trade deadline. Skubal is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He has a $32 million salary, a record total in arbitration, after the team offered $19 million, and is expected to sign a massive contract in the offseason.
Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal tips his hat after reaching his 1,000th career strikeout in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in Detroit. (AP photo)
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