DETROIT -- On the night the Tigers opened their 125th anniversary celebration weekend with members of their 2006 American League Championship pitching staff throwing ceremonial first pitches, Tarik Skubal put another gem on his resume among the greatest pitchers in franchise history. With 12 strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball, he not only continued his mastery of the Royals, but he put the Tigers in position to continue their winning ways out of the All-Star break.
With the Trade Deadline just 11 days away and the Tigers’ position as buyers and sellers still up in the air, Skubal is hoping his status as a Tiger isn’t about to become history. Barring a change in plans, he’ll get one more start at Comerica Park before the Aug. 3 Deadline, facing the Orioles on Wednesday to wrap up the homestand. Still, no matter what the future holds for Skubal, he gave a sellout crowd of 40,638 an outing to remember during Detroit's 2-1 win over Kansas City.
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Skubal set a season high in strikeouts, reaching double digits for the second time this season, and he did so efficiently. He fanned leadoff hitter Carter Jensen and slugger Vinnie Pasquantino three times each, including a pair of three-pitch strikeouts apiece. He fanned old nemesis Lane Thomas twice. When the Royals finally put a runner on base in the third inning on an Isaac Collins excuse-me double and bunted him to third with one out, Skubal fanned Jensen on a 98 mph fastball and Thomas on a changeup to extinguish the threat.
It marked Skubal’s 20th consecutive scoreless inning against the Royals, passing Milt Wilcox for the most by a Tiger in franchise history. Fourth-inning doubles from Salvador Perez and Nick Loftin ended it there, but Skubal froze Collins on a 97 mph heater to keep it at that.
Manager A.J. Hinch had been cautious about Skubal’s workload all summer since his return from surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow. But when Skubal stranded runners at second and third with a Tyler Tolbert flyout to end the seventh with his 89th pitch of the night, he got a fist bump from Hinch rather than an end-of-outing handshake.
The extra distance lasted just two pitches and a Jensen flyout to begin the eighth. The chants of “Skooooob” echoed around the ballpark as Hinch took the ball. Instead of a handshake, Hinch gave his ace a hug in the dugout.