The 'All-Star break'? There's no such thing in Skubal's mind

DETROIT -- Tarik Skubal paused for a second when asked how he’ll be spending the break.

“The All-Star break?”

It wasn’t out of privacy. In Skubal’s world, there is no break. It’s just his regular time between starts.

There’s obviously no All-Star Game trip for Skubal this season. There’s also no vacation. There’s just his between-starts work ahead of his next start Saturday at Angel Stadium. The only difference is that his work will be in an empty Comerica Park, and that the stretch that awaits him afterwards includes a Trade Deadline that could change his career.

“I’m going to stay here and get the work in that I need to get in and try to stay on that routine,” Skubal said. “Get prepared for the second half -- if that’s what you guys call it -- post All-Star break.”

Skubal thrives in compete mode, which is why he had a scowl on his face as he handed the ball to manager A.J. Hinch in the sixth inning of Sunday’s 5-0 loss to the Phillies. His walk back to the dugout without a tip to the ovation from the crowd of 35,065 was out of frustration.

“I always want to finish my inning,” Skubal said. “I pride myself on pitching deeper into ballgames. I don't know, obviously I didn't like it, but I don't make those decisions.”

The hook was somewhat surprising until you consider the underlying factors. Skubal was on standard four days’ rest after tying his season high with 96 pitches last Tuesday in five innings against the Athletics. He made it into the sixth inning Sunday, but after a 27-pitch fifth inning that included 11 high-stress pitches to strike out Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber to strand runners on second and third in what was then a 1-0 game.

Still, Skubal took the mound for the sixth inning at 83 pitches, a relatively reasonable total. Up came Bryce Harper, who grounded out twice but worked Skubal for nine pitches in their first-inning matchup. Harper topped that in the sixth, fouling off five pitches and three different pitch types after swinging and missing on back-to-back fastballs for a 1-2 count. Skubal pounded him on the inner part of the plate time and again, and Harper fought.

Finally, Skubal executed the pitch he wanted, seemingly jamming Harper with a 98 mph fastball up and in. Harper got a ground ball to the left side of second base, sending shortstop Kevin McGonigle scrambling to make a diving stop, but with no play at first.

“I was trying to go up and in there with a sinker and I got it up and in,” Skubal said. “If you look at the result, it was good. The curveball was, obviously, not good two pitches prior, but I thought I executed some pitches well that at-bat.”

Keider Montero, the odd man out of the Tigers rotation over the last couple weeks, was already warming in the 'pen. Hinch didn’t hesitate to make the call.

“I know there’s all this drama around removing guys or pitch counts and stuff like that,” Hinch said. “First of all, I love having Keider available. He’s pitched as well as anybody, and going into the inning, I had him up for protection on however the inning could go. [Skubal] could go three-up, three-down and get through the inning. He could pitch into a little bit of a jam with a lighter pitch count depending on where it dropped us off [in the lineup].

“But the 10-pitch at-bat, and then starting at [Alec] Bohm, having Keider hot and ready to go, he probably could’ve finished the game, if we let him.”

Said Skubal: “I just thought I had more in the tank. I think that I was still in control of what was going on. It was an infield single, didn't even leave the dirt. That's kind of it, though. I'm not here to create a story about any of it. I've always respected A.J.'s decisions on what he's trying to do. I trust Keider in those moments, too, to come in and do what he does. He's been great for us all season long, and he's been pressed into a tough role, too. I mean, I'm not going to second-guess decisions here. I trust A.J. with what he's got going on and what he's thinking.”

The way Zack Wheeler was pitching, the Phillies already had the lead they needed. Three consecutive two-out hits off Montero simply put it away.

The Tigers went into the All-Star break with back-to-back losses against two nasty starters in Cristopher Sánchez and Wheeler. Skubal went back to work.