PHOENIX -- A good portion of Kingman, Ariz., showed up for local hero Tarik Skubal’s homecoming. But so did Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll, and he wasn’t nearly as hospitable.
His first-inning solo homer was the lone run Skubal allowed in seven innings Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field, but it was enough to leave him as the losing pitcher in a 1-0 loss in the series finale.
Though Skubal’s second start of the season wrapped up the Tigers’ season-opening six-game West Coast road trip, it was essentially a home outing for the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner. He spent his teenage years in Kingman, a few hours’ drive away depending on traffic, and lives in the Phoenix area in the offseason. He returned to Kingman just before Spring Training to talk with kids at his old school, and he gives back to youth baseball there.
Making his second career start at Chase Field, he had more family, friends and neighbors than he could fit into the Tigers’ family section, so they took up a portion of the right-field seats. They were lined two deep around the right-field bullpen to watch Skubal warm up before the game.
But while a fair portion of the crowd was on Skubal’s side, fortune was not.
Skubal allowed only one home run to a left-handed hitter last season; that came from former Twin Edouard Julien last Aug. 14. Skubal didn’t allow a homer off of an 0-2 pitch all season until his final regular-season start in Cleveland, where Jhonkensy Noel got him.
So the fates seemed to align against him Wednesday when his 0-2 fastball to Carroll missed catcher Dillon Dingler’s target and wandered over the plate, where Carroll crushed it on a line and sent it deep to right. It was the first home run allowed by Skubal this season.
Skubal recovered from his miss, but he wore a face of frustration for much of the afternoon. He yelled into his mitt on his way back to the dugout after the second inning, after rookie third baseman Kevin McGonigle’s diving stop down the line started a double play that erased an Ildemaro Vargas leadoff single. Skubal stranded Tim Tawa on second base following his leadoff double, but was shaking his head on his way off the mound.
Two more hits and a Javier Báez throwing error created another opportunity for the Diamondbacks to add on in the fifth, but Skubal left Carroll on deck by fanning Ketel Marte on a 90 mph slider, yelling again into his glove on his way off.
McGonigle and second baseman Gleyber Torres teamed up for double plays in three of Skubal’s first six innings, but they couldn’t get Skubal a lead against Diamondbacks counterpart Zac Gallen, who shut down Detroit for six frames to keep Arizona in front.
Skubal needed just 87 pitches to cover seven innings, allowing six hits and no walks. His three strikeouts were a relatively low total for a deep start, as were his seven whiffs, including four whiffs on 14 swings against his slider.