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The Detroit Tigers secured their fourth win in five games on Thursday night with a 4-3 extra-inning victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Despite the win, all eyes were on Tarik Skubal, who battled through seven gritty innings and then offered a brutally honest postgame admission about his performance.
With the teams separated by 13 games in the standings following the loss, it wasn’t a high-stakes matchup — but Skubal still delivered a quality start on paper, throwing seven innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Still, the reigning Cy Young winner was candid afterward about his early struggles and ongoing battle for rhythm and consistency.
Following the Tigers’ 10th win in their last 16 games, Detroit Free Press reporter Evan Petzold shared a revealing post on X (formerly known as Twitter), highlighting just how much Skubal was pushing through — both physically and mentally.
#Tigers ace Tarik Skubal after seven innings of three-run ball in his 24th start: pic.twitter.com/V5A5xSjXYN
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) August 15, 2025
Skubal expressed his frustration with not being in rhythm and acknowledged he was pushing through both physical and mental challenges.
“I’ve just kind of been fighting myself a little bit physically, probably mentally too. I said some things to myself that I wouldn’t say on camera. I went out there and just tried to be aggressive and go out there and compete. I feel like I haven’t been executing pitches at the clip that I’m accustomed to, and that’s frustrating, and sometimes, you slow your body down a little bit thinking that would work, or you’re trying cues that usually get you back on track. I just haven’t found the one that’s clicked. As the game went on, I think I got better and got into a better rhythm, but early, I was probably just fighting myself more than anything.”
All three Minnesota runs came in the third inning off the 28-year-old superstar, including a solo homer from Edouard Julien and RBI contributions from Ryan Jeffers and Luke Keaschall. But after that, the left-hander locked in, retiring 10 straight batters to finish his outing and give the club a chance to claw back.
The offense did just enough. Riley Greene launched his team-leading 28th homer in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Later, Gleyber Torres delivered the game-winning sacrifice fly in the 11th after a wild pitch advanced placed runner Colt Keith to third.
Defensively, Detroit leaned on timely gems, including a game-saving throw from Spencer Torkelson in the 10th to cut down Alan Roden at home. Rafael Montero recorded the final four outs for the win.
The AL Central standings now show Detroit at 71-52, extending their division lead to 6.5 games over the second place Cleveland Guardians. While the team rides momentum, the southpaw's introspection signals the high standard he holds himself to — even in victory.
As the postseason push heats up for the Tigers, Skubal knows he’ll need to find his top gear. But even when not at his best, he’s still giving Detroit exactly what they need, a chance to win.
