Tigers’ Tarik Skubal wants all the smoke after shutting down Guardians

Tarik Skubal is welcoming the pressure and noise of MLB’s postseason.

The Detroit Tigers ace delivered another phenomenal start for the Tigers in a critical spot against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the ALDS. Skubal pitched seven scoreless innings over 92 pitches with eight strikeouts to keep the Tigers alive in a scoreless battle with Cleveland.

He started with a perfect first four innings, then had to escape trouble in the fifth and sixth innings, both on inning-ending double plays. After giving up a double and then hitting a batter in the fifth inning, he got Andrés Giménez to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to strand one runner in scoring position.

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In the sixth, the Guardians strung together two hits to put runners on the corners with one out, but Skubal got another double play with runners on the corners.

He induced a David Fry slow chopper to Trey Sweeney with an inside fastball. Sweeney whipped it to Colt Keith, who got it to a stretching Spencer Torkelson to turn the double play.

After the Tigers turned the double play, Skubal exited the mound and egged on the Cleveland crowd, asking for more noise.

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Despite Skubal’s great outing, the Tigers were deadlocked with the Guardians in a scoreless ball game. The Tigers’ hitters have only managed four hits, all off starter Matthew Boyd in the first 4⅔ innings, and came up empty on both chances with runners in scoring position.

The Tigers and Guardians have an off day Tuesday, before Wednesday’s Game 3 at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.