The Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros 3-1 in a thrilling Game 1 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the Wild Card round. The biggest reason why the Tigers were able to get the win: American League Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal.
Skubal dominated the AL West champion Astros, pitching six scoreless innings and only giving up four hits and one walk while striking out six.
There was some cause for concern though, as Skubal was pulled after the sixth inning even though he had only thrown 88 pitches. With two outs in in the sixth inning, Skubal fired a 100 mph fastball to Alex Bregman and was seen wincing on the mound with an apparent lower body injury. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch and the training staff came out to check on him, but Skubal was able to stay in the game and make it through the inning.
After the game, Hinch confirmed that Skubal was just dealing with cramping and did not injure himself on the mound, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic.
Skubal spoke about his cramping issue and addressed his status going forward to Stavenhagen.
“I mean, I feel fine. I'm not really worried about it going forward,” Skubal said. “But it's frustrating. I don't know what I can do. I hydrate enough. Nutrition is fine. Probably a product of trying to throw every pitch pretty hard. I'm a heavy sweater.”
Based on Hinch's diagnosis and Skubal's comments, he should be able to make his next start on regular rest if the Tigers are able to advance to the Division Series. However, Skubal's cramping will be something to monitor going forward, especially after his admission about not knowing what more he can do to prevent it.
Tarik Skubal's incredible 2024 season
Skubal's six scoreless innings during Game 1 of the Wild Card round was the cherry on top of his incredible 2024 regular season. The likely AL Cy Young winner, Skubal completed the pitching triple crown, leading the AL with 18 wins, a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts. Skubal also led the AL with a 170 ERA+ and a 2.50 FIP.
For a team that has mostly relied on its bullpen to piece together innings, having someone like Skubal who can go out and pitch deep into games every turn through the rotation has been crucial to the Tigers' improbable run to the postseason. If Skubal was forced to miss any time, it is difficult to imagine a way for the Tigers to advance.
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