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CLEVELAND — Tarik Skubal‘s itching to have another emotional October outburst that makes Tigers fans roar — even if it embarrasses his mom.
Baseball’s premier pitcher all season, the heat-throwing Skubal — a lock to win the AL Cy Young Award — will start Game 5 for Detroit on Saturday in a fitting, winner-take-all finale of a seesaw AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.
This backyard brawl is going the distance.
“I don’t think anybody thought this wasn’t going to go five games,” said first-year Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who will start Matthew Boyd before unchaining his bullpen. “It’s the way our season’s been. It’s the way their season’s been.”
It will be the second start in this series for Skubal, who pitched seven scoreless innings in Game 2, which the Tigers won 3-0 on Kerry Carpenter’s three-run homer in the ninth inning off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.
While inducing an inning-ending double play in the fifth inning to keep the game scoreless, Skubal didn’t hold back and screamed a profanity toward Cleveland’s raucous crowd as he walked toward Detroit’s dugout.
A national TV audience read his lips. So did those closest to Skubal.
His mother, Laura, didn’t approve of his salty language and posted a message on social media to convey her disappointment.
“Tarik Daniel!!” she wrote, using Skubal’s middle name, a clear indicator that he was in big trouble.
The moment was nothing new for Skubal, who has battled his emotions as an athlete for years and has to learn to channel them in a more positive way.
As for Mama Skubal, well, the left-hander said she is one to talk.
“You should hear my mom when she was growing up,” he said, smiling. “That’s interesting she wants to make that comment. I’ve seen her get ejected out of plenty of high school basketball games. So I guess it might run in the family a little bit there.”
Skubal said his dad is the same way.
“Genetics,” he said with a shrug.
The Tigers and Guardians were thrown a literal changeup on Friday by MLB, which was concerned about a chance for inclement weather Saturday night and moved the first pitch from 8:08 p.m. to 1:08 p.m.
And while the seven-hour switch certainly led to fans having to scramble their plans, the move from prime time to lunchtime didn’t seem to bother any of the players.
“We’ve had plenty of day games this year,” Cleveland rookie reliever Cade Smith said.
None, though, as big as this one as the Tigers and Guardians try to advance to the ALCS and a matchup against the New York Yankees, who eliminated the Kansas City Royals in four games on Thursday and await their next AL Central opponent.
Detroit has made an unexpected journey to Game 5. Back on Aug. 10, the Tigers were 55-63, playing some youngsters up from the minors and seemingly on their way to a 10th straight post-season at home.
But they went 31-13 to close the regular season, swept Houston in the wild-card round and are deadlocked with the AL Central champions.
And while they couldn’t put away the Guardians at home, they’ll get another chance — maybe without slugger Kerry Carpenter, who hurt his hamstring in Game 4 — and this time with Skubal starting.
No pitcher in either league has been on or near his level in 2024. The 27-year-old led the AL in wins, ERA, strikeouts and perplexed hitters. The Tigers are 23-10 when he pitches.
His reign has carried over into the post-season as Skubal has not allowed a run in 13 innings while striking out 14. He hasn’t lost since Aug. 2 — a span of 11 starts — or been scored upon in his last 24 innings overall.
“He loves competition,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s into it as much as anybody that I’ve ever put on the mound. Nobody better to give the ball to in this game than Tarik.”
The Guardians only got three hits off him in Game 2.
“He’s just got it all,” Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges said. “He’s a unit on the mound. He’s got crazy deception. He throws 100 (mph). He’s got two different fastballs. He’s got wipeout off-speed. He’s the ultimate competitor.
“He’s every team’s dream to have as your ace. That guy is as good as it gets in our league.”
For the second time in the series, Skubal will be matched up against Boyd, his close friend and former Tigers teammate who could have never dreamed being in this situation. It was only months ago that Boyd was wondering if he would ever pitch in the big leagues again after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.
He threw in his driveway at home, on high school fields, anywhere he could while hoping for another chance. The Guardians gave him one by signing him in July.
Only moments after Vogt told him that he would get the ball for Game 5, Boyd was overcome by the reality of pitching in Cleveland’s biggest game to date.
“Just gratitude,” Boyd said, unable to fight back tears. “All those days. You’re in the gym and this is what you dream of. This is what you want, and you go do it. You’re excited about it, and that’s what you want. You dream about everything leading up to it.”
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