Sports
Tigers’ Skubal Strikes Out 14 in Wild Card Series Victory
CLEVELAND — The Detroit Tigers faced the Cleveland Guardians in a tense Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday afternoon, and starting pitcher Tarik Skubal delivered a historic performance.
Skubal struck out 14 batters and pitched into the eighth inning, leading the Tigers to a 2-1 victory at Progressive Field. The win puts the Tigers one win away from eliminating the Guardians, who had made a remarkable comeback in the regular season to overtake Detroit in the AL Central.
The Tigers took an early lead when Kerry Carpenter singled with two outs in the first inning. After a misplay in right field by Jonathan Rodriguez, Carpenter advanced to second base. Spencer Torkelson followed with a soft single that allowed Carpenter to score, giving Detroit a 1-0 advantage.
Despite the early lead, the Tigers had lost three of their last four games against the Guardians after scoring first. The Guardians tied the game in the fourth inning after a series of key plays, including an infield single from Angel Martinez and a walk from José RamÃrez. Martinez later scored after an overturned call following a replay review.
Guardians starter Gavin Williams had issues with some close calls during a lengthy third inning but managed to keep the game competitive. However, in the seventh, he allowed a leadoff double to Riley Greene, who later scored after a sacrifice bunt from Zach McKinstry, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Skubal’s performance was stellar as he struck out the side in the seventh inning with fastballs clocking over 99 mph. Despite having pitched 96 pitches by the start of the eighth inning, Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch opted to send him back to the mound. Skubal tied a club record with his 14th strikeout before giving way to closer Will Vest.
In the ninth inning, the Guardians mounted a last-ditch effort to tie the game. After a fielding error allowed RamÃrez to reach third, Vest stayed composed, striking out pinch-hitter George Valera and collecting the final out to preserve the win.
The Tigers are now poised to advance in the postseason, with Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday at 1:08 p.m. Tigers right-hander Casey Mize, who had a solid season with a 14-6 record, is set to face Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee.
