The Detroit Tigers have not dropped a game started by ace Tarik Skubal since losing to the Kansas City Royals on April 20.
Now, coming off the first complete-game shutout of his career, Skubal will look to help the Tigers post a season-high sixth straight win Saturday afternoon in a matchup against the host Royals.
In that April start against Kansas City, Skubal (5-2, 2.49 ERA) allowed seven hits and two runs over five innings during his team’s 4-3, 10-inning home loss that prevented Detroit from sweeping the four-game series.
It wasn’t Skubal’s cleanest outing of 2025 — and he didn’t figure into the decision — but since then he’s 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in six starts, all Tigers victories.
The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, Skubal showcased his dominance like never before during a 5-0 home victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. The left-hander tossed a two-hitter and hit a batter while striking out 13 without a walk.
“He’s the best. He’s the best pitcher in baseball,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
Perhaps more impressive, Skubal’s game-ending, 94th pitch of the day was clocked at 102.6 mph — striking out Cleveland’s Gabriel Arias. MLB.com reported it was the fastest pitch thrown by a member of the Detroit Tigers in the Statcast area, dating to 2015.
The report added that no other starter in the majors has registered a pitch thrown 102 mph or faster later than the sixth inning in the same time span.
“When he’s got full intensity and full throttle, the sky’s the limit,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.
Skubal, who retired Cleveland’s first 15 batters, has completed at least six innings seven times in 11 starts this season. He’s done five times while going 3-7 with a 4.76 ERA in 14 career starts versus Kansas City.
While Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. is just 4-for-27 against Skubal, veteran teammate Salvador Perez is a career .333 hitter with four homers in 33 at-bats against him.
Witt homered Friday, but the Royals went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position during their 7-5 series-opening loss. Kansas City has lost 12 of 18 following its 16-2 surge.
“The only way to cash in on opportunities is to give yourself opportunities,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Just didn’t get the game-changing hit (Friday).”
Kansas City’s scheduled starter on Saturday, Michael Wacha (3-4, 3.21 ERA), opposed Skubal last month and also yielded two runs and seven hits while lasting 5 1/3 innings. That outing began a six-start stretch in which the veteran right-hander went 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA.
That run ended last Saturday at Minnesota. Wacha cruised through four innings and was staked to a 4-0 lead, then allowed three runs in the fifth and a solo homer to lead off the sixth, which ended his day. The Royals fell 5-4 in walk-off fashion.
“Just frustrating on my end,” Wacha said. “I got to be finer with my pitches.”
Detroit’s Spencer Torkelson is 1-for-9 lifetime versus Wacha, but Javier Baez is 9-for-31 and Colt Keith is 5-for-11.
–Field Level Media
