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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Ahead of Chicago White Sox series, Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal says a rebuild ‘crushes' a sports town
It wasn't all that long ago that the Chicago White Sox were expected to dominate the American League Central for years, while the Detroit Tigers were everyone's favorite punching bags. But a baseball team's fortunes can change relatively quickly, and heading into the four-game series this week at Rate Field, the Tigers had the best record in baseball at 39-21, while the Sox were on pace to lose 113 games, after their record-setting 121-loss season of 2024. You can spend days and weeks theorizing about the downfall of the Sox since their 2021 season, and if you're a Sox fan, you probably have. But the bottom line is that not all rebuilds are alike, and now the Sox are back in another one and hoping to emulate the Tigers' rebuild. Does Detroit's rise provide hope for the Sox? 'I'm optimistic about the changes we can make because of the people that we have and the plan that's been laid out,' Sox manager Will Venable replied before Monday's opener. 'Certainly there are a lot of teams, including the Tigers, that you can point to that have reestablished themselves and their organizational identity. 'I know people over there in that organization have done a great job. We're hoping to do the same thing over here.' The Sox continue to insist that things are getting better, despite the losing, based on the pitching prospects and closer games. Maybe. But with a game-time temperature of 84 degrees Monday, they could make a statement by playing well this week against the Tigers, who came in with 10 straight wins on the South Side dating back to Sept. 1, 2023. That was back when Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti was still happily employed by the Sox, and not the man whose departure ignited the 'Curse of Benetti' rumors. Times change. But Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, who was on the 2022 Tigers team that lost 96 games, doesn't buy into the whole rebuild concept, even as it appears theirs worked. 'How do I say this the right way?' Skubal told me before the game. 'I don't really believe in the term 'rebuild,' to be honest. Our rebuild was supposed to be five years, and it started in 2017 or whatever. That means we were supposed to have already won by now, and we haven't. So I don't believe in the word.' Skubal, one of the main reasons for the Tigers' turnaround, won't pitch this series. The Tigers are holding him until next Friday in Detroit, the start of a three-game series against the Cubs, the hottest team in the National League. Chicago is currently in the Dark Ages when it comes to our professional sports teams, so I talked with Skubal about Detroit's sports renaissance, where the Lions are a Super Bowl contender, the Tigers are a World Series contender, and the Pistons made the playoffs in 2025. 'The Lions kind of led the way, and we had a pretty good season last year and the Pistons this year, and the Red Wings are doing their thing, too,' he said. 'They're on the brink of making a serious run to the playoffs. It's a fun time to be an athlete in Detroit. It's a great sports town. 'When you have a great sports town and you come out and say 'We're rebuilding,' it crushes that town. Now we've finally got the fans to buy back into us, and it took too long — eight years or whatever. 'It's tough for fans. When you're a diehard fan and your team is kind of openly saying we don't want to win, that's not what you want to hear. I play baseball, but I'm a fan of other teams — the (Phoenix) Suns and the Arizona Cardinals — and when a team comes out and openly says we're rebuilding, you don't want to hear that. 'As a Suns fan, we've been through tough times, but now we have an owner that wants to win as badly as the fans do. That's all you can ask for as a fan.' That owner would be Mat Ishbia, a billionaire who bought the Suns along with his brother, Justin Ishbia, a limited partner in the White Sox. Justin Ishbia is considered next in line to buy the Sox when Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, or more likely his sons, decide to sell the team. 'Mat has been great for the community,' said Skubal, who grew up in Arizona. 'Obviously the Suns' season was disappointing, but it's good to know they have a plan in place, and that's all you ask for.' Reinsdorf had a plan, too. It worked until he decided to ignore his general manager, Rick Hahn, and hired his friend, Tony La Russa, as manager over A.J. Hinch, who eventually went to the Tigers. La Russa won in 2021 and then watched things fall apart one year later, leading to Hahn's firing in 2023. Now it's up to GM Chris Getz to fix things, and Year Two looks a lot like Year One. The Sox desperately need Luis Robert Jr. to wake up so they can trade him, but the .180-hitting center fielder was back in the No. 7 hole for the second straight game. Did Venable talk to Robert about the move before he made it on Sunday in Baltimore? 'I didn't on this one,' Venable said. 'I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Just kind of two spots (down). I think if you sit back and look at it today, these are the guys in our lineup. We're going to put them in an order that gives us the best chance to win. It's a logical order to me and not one to me that I thought needed an explanation. I don't think Luis is going to look at it as a big deal. It certainly wasn't a big deal to me.' If Robert dropping down to hit seventh is no longer a big deal on the South Side, it's a sad reflection on the state of the team. Maybe an eight-year plan is looking a bit optimistic.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Detroit Tigers waste Tarik Skubal gem in two-hit, 1-0 loss to Kansas City Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tarik Skubal vs. Michael Wacha. It was an old-fashioned pitchers duel between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals on Saturday, May 31, at Kauffman Stadium in the second of three games in the series, with Wacha taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Advertisement The Royals won, 1-0. Colt Keith broke up Wacha's no-hit bid when he hit a ground-ball single up the middle with one out in the seventh inning, but the Tigers never put a run on the scoreboard. Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. The Tigers (38-21) were held to two hits and one walk. Skubal exited after throwing 90 pitches across seven innings. The Royals wasted no time taking advantage of the pitching change, taking a 1-0 lead off right-handed reliever Beau Brieske in the eighth inning. The run scored on back-to-back hits from Nick Loftin and Vinnie Pasquantino. A runner didn't advance into scoring position until Loftin doubled for the Royals in the bottom of the eighth. Advertisement [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] INJURY UPDATE: Alex Cobb pitched through 'a lot of discomfort' in first rehab start Tarik Skubal's dominance Skubal completed seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in 90 pitches. He allowed just two hits: Freddy Fermin hit a full-count fastball for a one-out single in the third inning; Loftin hit a full-count sinker for a one-out single in the fifth inning. There weren't any other baserunners against Skubal, as he didn't allow a walk. Advertisement After Lofton reached safely, he tried to steal second base with Pasquantino in the batter's box, but catcher Dillon Dingler delivered a strike to throw him out. A few pitches later, Pasquantino struck out swinging on a changeup to end the fifth inning. Facing Skubal, both Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez finished 0-for-3 with one strikeout. Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Celebrate 125 epic seasons of the Tigers with our new book! In the seventh, Witt grounded out to second baseman Gleyber Torres, who made a sliding stop to keep the ball from leaking through the infield. Perez golfed a down-and-in slider to left field, but the ball died at 323 feet, well before getting close to the warning track. Advertisement Skubal has a 2.26 ERA in 12 starts, including a 1.66 ERA, three walks (1.3% walk rate) and 89 strikeouts (37.4% strikeout rate) across his past 10 starts, spanning 65 innings. [ NEW TIGERS NEWSLETTER! Sign up for The Purr-fect Game, a weekly dose of Tigers news, numbers and analysis for Freep subscribers, here. ] Detroit Tigers designated hitter Colt Keith (33) hits a single against the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Michael Wacha's dominance Wacha also completed seven scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and one walk: Gleyber Torres drew a seven-pitch walk with one out in the fourth inning; Keith hit a middle-middle cutter for a single with one out in the seventh inning. Wacha racked up six strikeouts. Advertisement He threw 99 pitches. Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' 5-game win streak snapped in 2-hit loss to K.C. Royals
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit Tigers' A.J. Hinch: Pulling Tarik Skubal at 90 pitches is about protecting health
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch removed left-hander Tarik Skubal from a tie game against Kansas City Royals on Saturday, May 31, after seven scoreless innings and 90 pitches. The Tigers ended up losing, 1-0. Advertisement The Royals scored almost immediately in the eighth inning, facing right-handed reliever Beau Brieske. With one out, Nick Loftin hit a double and Vinnie Pasquantino hit an RBI single. It was enough to win the game. Here's what Skubal said, following his 12th start in a row without reaching 100 pitches, all this season: "I feel good, but I trust what A.J. does. He's always got a really good plan, and I trust our guys in our bullpen. I'm going to try to pitch as deep as I can, and then turn it over to those guys. They've been really, really good for us. We give up one run — I mean, you shouldn't lose a lot of games when you give up one, but it's just the nature of the game. I trust those guys, so I'm going to give it everything I have and let him make the decision of when to go somewhere else." Here's what Loftin said, after he had one of the Royals' two hits off Skubal: "Honestly, it was a relief to get him out because he was pitching such a good game against us. We were able to string some hits together against Brieske. It turned out to be a part of the game that helped us win a ballgame." Advertisement Here's what Hinch said about why he turned to Brieske, who had limited left-handed hitters to a .171 batting average and a .431 OPS entering Saturday's game: "They've got all left-handed bench with the counters that they were going to do. If we could flip then, then we've got options a little bit later as well. And Brieske can get outs. ... I think the ability to handle left-handed hitters when we knew they were going to counter, no matter what right-handed pitcher I put in there, Beau was a good matchup." All of those comments were provided Saturday evening. Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) watches play against the Kansas City Royals in the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. HOW IT HAPPENED: Tigers' Tarik Skubal shut down Royals — then moment of 'relief' changed everything Advertisement Less than 24 hours later, Hinch sat in the dugout and explained his decision to pull Skubal, doing so before the series finale Sunday, June 1, against the Royals. Here's the full explanation: "Listen, it's way easier to just let guys go until they can't go anymore. We need all of our pitchers. We've been very disciplined and very thorough and explained it. When it doesn't work out in your favor, it doesn't mean the decision wasn't made with some intent. Obviously, it's a long season. We've got to run the race to get where we need to get to. All you really need to do is look around our rotation and the rotation around the league. It's hard to get through the race. It's hard to get wire to wire without making some difficult decisions along the way. Unfortunately, in my position, I know more information of what's going on in the dugout in between innings — fatigue levels, hydration, the long race that we're trying to run. So you make a call like that. If we had gotten through that game and won, there wouldn't be a question that comes up. The nature of those decisions come as a result of what happens. Totally cool with that. It's part of it. But there's no easy solution other than assuming that the other way would have worked out perfectly fine, both in results wise and health wise. He just came off the longest start of his entire career. He's at 90 pitches. It's almost 90 degrees here. We had a good matchup. It didn't work. It's part of it. I understand the wrath that comes with it over reactionary feelings." The Tigers are focused on winning the World Series. To go all the way, the reigning American League Cy Young winner needs to stay healthy. Advertisement Only twice has a Tigers starting pitcher reached 100 pitches this season: Jackson Jobe threw 100 pitches May 12 in a 14-2 win over the Boston Red Sox; Jack Flaherty threw 108 pitches May 22 in a 7-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Three starts later, Jobe suffered an elbow injury — straining his flexor tendon. He will miss at least one month, but it's more likely he is sidelined for two months. That can't happen to Skubal. Is Parker Meadows returning? Center fielder Parker Meadows (right upper arm nerve issue) is about to join the Tigers for his 2025 season debut. The 25-year-old has completed eight games on a rehab assignment, logging 37 innings in center field and 33 plate appearances. Advertisement THE GAME: Tigers waste Tarik Skubal gem in two-hit, 1-0 loss to Royals He could return Monday against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. It sounds like he will meet the Tigers in the Windy City, then be evaluated. "I talked to him late last night to get a little bit more feedback on him," Hinch said Sunday morning. "He's doing really well. We'll have a plan to make sure." Meadows has been injured since Feb. 22 in spring training. [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Reese Olson injury update Right-hander Reese Olson (right ring finger inflammation) is eligible to return Monday from the injured list, but he still isn't throwing all of his pitches in bullpen sessions. The 25-year-old needs to be able to throw his changeup before he can return. Advertisement He threw his last bullpen before Saturday's game. Olson suffered the finger injury May 17 against the Toronto Blue Jays, feeling irritation when he threw his changeup. The changeup is his best pitch, with a 50.5% whiff rate. Pitching plan vs. White Sox Facing the White Sox, the Tigers have Jack Flaherty scheduled to start Monday's series opener and Casey Mize tabbed to start Thursday's series finale. The starters for Tuesday and Wednesday have not been determined, but Sawyer Gipson-Long is expected to start one of those games. For the other game, the Tigers seem likely to deploy a bullpen-only game with their nine relievers. Advertisement Gipson-Long hasn't pitched for the Tigers since September 2023, when he registered a 2.70 ERA with eight walks and 26 strikeouts across 20 innings in four starts. Since then, Gipson-Long underwent right elbow surgery in April 2024 and left hip surgery in July 2024. The 27-year-old has completed five starts during his rehab assignment, including two starts with Triple-A Toledo. Skubal will start Friday against the Chicago Cubs at Comerica Park, getting an extra day of rest. Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Advertisement Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' AJ Hinch explains Tarik Skubal decision vs Royals
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal shut down Royals — then moment of 'relief' changed everything
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal had thrown 90 pitches over seven scoreless innings. Then came the hook. Manager A.J. Hinch pulled Skubal — the reigning American League Cy Young winner — in favor of right-handed reliever Beau Brieske to begin the eighth inning Saturday, May 31, at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals wasted no time, pouncing on Brieske with back-to-back hits to score the only run of the game. Advertisement The Tigers lost, 1-0. JV ON SKUB: Tigers need to 'ride that horse' deeper into games Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Skubal felt like he could've kept pitching. "I feel good, but I trust what A.J. does," said Skubal, who retired 20 of the 22 batters he faced, including the final seven in a row. "He's always got a really good plan, and I trust our guys in the bullpen. I'm going to try to pitch as deep as I can, and then turn it over to those guys. They've been really, really good for us." The Royals' offense perked up when Skubal walked off the mound after the seventh inning and got a handshake — not a fist bump — from Hinch. The handshake meant Skubal was done for the day, even at just 90 pitches. Advertisement How did the Royals feel about that? Just ask them. "Honestly, it was a relief to get him out because he was pitching such a good game against us," said Nick Loftin, who had one of the Royals' two hits off Skubal. "We were able to string some hits together against Brieske. It turned out to be a part of the game that helped us win a ballgame." Celebrate 125 epic seasons of the Tigers with our new book! Kansas City Royals left fielder Nick Loftin (12) hits a single against the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Skubal has a 2.26 ERA in 12 starts. He hasn't thrown more than 96 pitches in any of them. That pattern continued in Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Royals. Hinch was asked if he pulled Skubal to keep him fresh because his next start appeared likely to be on four days of rest — a schedule he has followed just three times in 12 starts. But once again, Skubal will get extra rest before his next start. Advertisement [ NEW TIGERS NEWSLETTER! Sign up for The Purr-fect Game, a weekly dose of Tigers news, numbers and analysis for Freep subscribers, here. ] Kansas City Royals left fielder Nick Loftin (12) celebrates with catcher Freddy Fermin (34) after scoring against the Detroit Tigers in the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. "He's not going to be on regular," Hinch said, indicating Skubal won't pitch until Friday, June 6, in the series opener against the Chicago Cubs at Comerica Park. "That didn't play into anything today." Instead of riding Skubal, the Tigers turned to Brieske for the eighth inning — with Mark Canha, Loftin and Vinnie Pasquantino due up for the Royals. Additionally, the Royals had a bench full of left-handed hitters ready to pinch-hit upon Skubal's departure. Advertisement Why Brieske? "They've got all left-handed bench with the counters that they were going to do," Hinch said. "If we could flip them, then we've got options a little bit later as well. And Brieske can get outs." The Tigers were prepared for a multi-inning tactical battle, but in the eighth inning, Brieske fit the situation as one of their most effective right-handed relievers against left-handed hitters. Entering Saturday, lefties were hitting just .171 with a .431 OPS against Brieske in 39 plate appearances, while righties had a .308 batting average and a 1.004 OPS in 45 plate appearances. Those splits explain why the Tigers saw Brieske as their best weapon against the Royals' array of left-handed pinch-hitters. Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) watches play against the Kansas City Royals in the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. ROAD TO GREATNESS: After Tarik Skubal's 'Maddux,' MLB legend Greg Maddux shares secret to sustaining success Advertisement "The ability to handle left-handed hitters when we knew they were going to counter, no matter what right-handed pitcher I put in there, Beau was a good matchup," Hinch said. Brieske can get outs, but he's not Skubal. Everyone knows that. In the eighth, Brieske got pinch-hitter Drew Waters to fly out, but Loftin — a right-handed hitter — smoked a middle-middle fastball into left field for a double. After that, Pasquantino — a left-handed hitter — slapped a middle-away fastball, located well off the plate, for an opposite-field RBI single. The single from Pasquantino put the Royals ahead, 1-0. Advertisement It was enough to win the game. "We give up one run — I mean, you shouldn't lose a lot of games when you give up one, but it's just the nature of the game," Skubal said. "I trust those guys, so I'm going to give it everything I have and let him make the decision of when to go somewhere else." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Advertisement Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers: Tarik Skubal or Beau Brieske vs Kansas City Royals?
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tarik Skubal dominates Cleveland Guardians with two-hit 5-0 shutout
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was perfect through five innings at Comerica Park on May 9 against the Texas Rangers, and then repeated that performance on Sunday, May 25, with another five perfect innings to kick off his start against the Cleveland Guardians. Pitchers as good as Skubal have a habit of making perfection routine. But this start reached a new frontier for the defending American League Cy Young Award winner. Advertisement Skubal treated the home crowd to another gem, pitching his first career complete-game shutout as the Tigers beat the Guardians 5-0 on Sunday at Comerica Park. Along with his first career shutout, Skubal also recorded a "Maddux," or a complete game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches thrown. Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, May 25, 2025. JEFF SEIDEL: Does it matter that Detroit Tigers have a fun-loving clubhouse with a bunch of good dudes? The last Tigers pitcher to reach that mark was Keider Montero in 2024, who did so against the Rockies on Sept. 10. Before that, you have to go back to June 12, 2015, with David Price shutting out Cleveland on 93 pitches. In all, it was just the fifth Maddux by a Tigers pitcher at Comerica Park. Advertisement Skubal allowed his first baserunner via a double from Guardians third baseman Will Wilson to lead off the sixth inning. He tied his career high with 13 strikeouts. Celebrate 125 seasons of the Tigers with our new book! Skubal was both effective and efficient in the early innings, recording 36 pitches through his first four innings, averaging nine per frame. He had 72 through seven, keeping him on pace for the Maddux. Skubal recorded another feat during his most recent outing, becoming the first pitcher in Tigers history to record double-digit strikeouts in four consecutive home starts. The Tigers batters were fairly punchless early in the game, save for a fourth inning that gave their starter all the support he needed. Offense breaks out in the fourth The fourth began with an infield single from Justyn-Henry Malloy. Two batters later, Zach McKinstry tattooed a 77 mph slider that sailed into the right-field seats, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead. The homer was McKinstry's third of the season. Advertisement Doubles by both Javier Báez and Gleyber Torres later in the inning added a third run, while an RBI single from Andy Ibáñez added a fourth. The inning looked like it would end on a Riley Green dribbler back to the pitcher, but Guardians starter Logan Allen yanked the throw to first base, allowing Ibáñez to score and make it 5-0. The long inning gave Skubal plenty of time to rest (and think), but he looked just as sharp in the top of the fifth, setting down the side without much stress. Skubal throws 102 in the seventh Skubal kept it steady to start the game, sitting in the mid-to-high 90s with his sinking fastball. Advertisement He got faster as the game went on, however: Skubal launched a 101.7 mph fastball to strike out Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo to end the seventh inning. And that wasn't even his fastest pitch of the game. That was the final one, which got a swinging strikeout from shortstop Gabrial Arias. On that pitch, Skubal hit 102.6. Skubal's fastball velocity has averaged 97.7 mph this season, which puts him in the 94th percentile of all MLB pitchers according to Baseball Savant. But he has also shown a willingness to hit triple digits at any point in a game when needed. He probably didn't need to reach those heights to get the win on Sunday, but he did, anyway. Advertisement You can reach Christian at cromo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal dominates Cleveland Guardians in two-hit shutout
