Latest news with #Skubal
Edmonton Journal
5 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Jays erupt for six late runs to break open a pitchers duel against the Tigers
Article content One of, if not, baseball's best pitchers facing a team sporting baseball's best record, the stage was set for an epic matchup in Motown. Article content It was no letdown. Article content Tarik Skubal, the AL's reigning Cy Young Award winner, went up against the first-place Blue Jays for the first time since 2023 at Comerica Park on Saturday night in the third game of a four-game series. Article content Toronto took the opening two games with relative ease, but Game 3 had a different feel with the imposing Skubal on the mound, facing Jays ace Kevin Gausman. Article content It went pretty much as expected. The two star hurlers went six shutout innings apiece — with Gausman actually outpitching Skubal — before the Jays pulled ahead in the eighth on a two-run Bo Bichette single, then tacked on four more runs in the ninth in a 6-1 victory. Article content Article content The Jays had the better chances early on, but couldn't crack through. The first real scoring opportunity was scuttled in the fourth inning when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was picked off at third base, yet another example why the franchise face needs to be more mentally engaged. Article content A 13-pitch at-bat by Bichette led to a walk as the Jays loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning. Tyler Heineman then looped a short single into centre. George Springer, waiting to see if the ball would fall in, hesitated from third then made the dash to plate but was an easy out after he mysteriously slowed down. Article content Article content Gausman, who had 10 strikeouts, and three relievers limited the Tigers to two hits, both by No. 9 batter Jake Rogers. Article content Skubal gave up six hits, walked three and struck out seven. Article content Since the all-star break, the Jays have gone 8-1 to improve their overall record to 63-42. Article content With the New York Yankees losing again to the Phillies on Saturday, the Jays' lead atop the AL East is now 6.5 games. Article content A win Sunday and the Jays will earn a series sweep over a Tigers team that has lost 12 of its past 13 games but still leads the AL Central by a healthy margin. Article content All-star Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk was forced to leave the game after he took a foul ball flush off his mask. He finished the inning, but was replaced by Heineman. Article content Springer, Guerrero and Nathan Lukes all hit homers in the ninth as the Jays piled it on. Article content Pitching perspective Article content The Jays have done well of late when facing some quality arms, whether it was Logan Webb and Robbie Ray when the San Francisco Giants were in town or whether it was the New York Yankees tandem of Carlos Rodon and Max Fried.
Canada News.Net
6 days ago
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Tarik Skubal, skidding Tigers aim to slow down Blue Jays
(Photo credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images) The Detroit Tigers will look to their ace to end another losing streak -- if he's in uniform on Saturday. Left-hander Tarik Skubal was placed on the paternity list this week but is expected to start against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays in the third contest of a four-game series between division leaders. The Tigers have lost five straight games and the Blue Jays have won three in a row. In Skubal's last start on Sunday, the Tigers snapped a six-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Texas Rangers. Skubal (10-3, 2.19 ERA) wound up with a no-decision in that contest. The 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner lasted 6 2/3 innings and struck out 11. The lone Rangers run came home on a Tyler Holton wild pitch. 'I expect every time I go out there to put our team in a position to win, and we were able to do that,' said Skubal, who is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts against Toronto. Detroit's lead in the American League Central has shrunk to 7 1/2 games over the Cleveland Guardians. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said he believes the slide is just the product of a 162-game marathon. 'I've managed 100-plus-win teams that have gone through six- and seven- and eight-game losing streaks or lost 12 of 13 one year,' he said. 'And you don't think of that because we forget over time there's going to be a time that we all forget about this.' Right-hander Kevin Gausman (7-7, 4.01 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays on Saturday. He's coming off one of his best outings of the season, a seven-inning gem Monday against the New York Yankees in which he allowed one run and four hits while striking out eight in a 4-1 victory. 'He was unbelievable,' shortstop Bo Bichette said. 'I think that's what we expect from him, always. He was really hitting his spots. It's fun to watch him.' In his previous three starts, Gausman didn't go longer than 5 2/3 innings while throwing at least 96 pitches. He required only 86 in his seven-inning stint. 'That's Kev,' Toronto manager John Schneider said. '(Pitching coach Pete Walker) and I were joking before the game that we needed a gem from Kevin. He did it.' Gausman has made 13 career starts against the Tigers, posting a 4-3 record and a 3.40 ERA. In Detroit's home park, Gausman is 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA in five starts. The Blue Jays, who lead the AL East by 5 1/2 games over the New York Yankees, have 51 runs since the All-Star break, going 7-1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has led the attack during the last six games. He has five multi-hit games during that span with four doubles and a homer. He has five hits in the first two games of this series while scoring four runs and knocking in three. 'Any year, you can look up and Vlad can hit 50 homers or he can hit 20. It's what we need from him every night,' Schneider said. 'There's going to be a time where he's hitting homers in bunches, and that's great. Comparing it to other seasons, it's kind of tough for me because I've seen him for so long, and what he's doing right now doesn't look wrong.' Spencer Torkelson has been one of the few bright spots for the Tigers, homering in each game of this series.
Newsweek
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
MLB Cy Young Odds, Best Bets: Tarik Skubal Heavily Favored In AL
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is currently heavily favored to become the first back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner since Pedro Martinez in 2000. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is currently heavily favored to become the first back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner since Pedro Martinez in 2000. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As the first full, post-All Star break week of the MLB season continues, Newsweek's look at the odds to win the biggest regular-season awards in baseball continues today with a breakdown of the Cy Young races. Fortunately for bettors interested in these markets, there's plenty of intrigue in both the AL and the NL (particularly in the latter) There's no need for any further throat-clearing here -- below are where both the AL Cy Young and NL Cy Young races stand, as of July 24. American League Cy Young Odds FanDuel ESPN BET Tarik Skubal -330 -240 Garrett Crochet +250 +230 Jacob DeGrom +1600 +1500 Hunter Brown +3000 +1800 With Tarik Skubal (10-3, 2.19 ERA over 127.2 IP) listed at shorter than -200 at both ESPN BET and FanDuel, there's little doubt about who would win the 2025 AL Cy Young Award if the season ended today. Skubal, 28, received all 30 first-place votes for AL Cy Young last year after going 18-4, with a 2.39 ERA. Somehow, he has been even better this year -- and if he keeps his ERA anywhere near 2.19, it's hard to imagine anyone overtaking him for this award. It should be noted, though, that after Chris Sale (2.38) and Skubal (2.39) were the only players to finish 2024 with an ERA under 2.50, there are currently nine MLB pitchers with an ERA under 2.50. That list includes Skubal's top AL Cy Young threats: Boston's Garrett Crochet (2.19 ERA) and Texas's Jacob DeGrom (2.28 ERA). Statistically, picking between Skubal and Crochet is a matter of splitting hairs right now -- with one key exception -- as you can see below. Tarik Skubal vs. Garrett Crochet Statistical Comp. (as of 7/24) Record (IP) ERA Strikeouts (SO/9) BB BB/9 SO/BB WAR Tarik Skubal 10-3 (127.2) 2.19 164 (11.6) 16 1.1 10.25 4.9 Garrett Crochet 11-4 (135.1) 2.19 165 (11.0) 36 2.4 4.58 4.4 Both Skubal and Crochet have posted remarkable numbers across the board, but Skubal's remarkable ability to avoid walking batters is the difference. While Skubal is en route to his third straight season with a BB/9 of 2.0 or fewer, Crochet -- who gave up 2.0 BB/9 in 2024 -- is allowing 2.4 walks per nine innings. AL Cy Young Best Bet: Stay Away, Or Take Favorite Tarik Skubal Assuming both Skubal and Crochet maintain what we've seen from them so far this year, I can't argue with Skubal's status as the favorite here. Unfortunately, that makes all the non-Skubal options in this market easy-to-resist, even at odds that might look tempting on the surface. National League Cy Young Odds FD ESPN BET Zack Wheeler -115 -115 Paul Skenes +105 EVEN Christopher Sanchez +1500 +1600 Logan Webb +5000 +3300 In the National League, we're looking at a battle between Zack Wheeler and Paul Skenes that could go down to the wire. Zack Wheeler vs. Paul Skenes Statistical Comp. (as of 7/24) Let's start the comparison by listing off the key stats for both below. Record (IP) ERA Strikeouts (SO/9) BB BB/9 SO/BB WAR Zack Wheeler 9-3 (128) 2.39 164 (11.5) 26 1.8 6.31 5.0 Paul Skenes 5-8 (127) 1.91 137 (9.7) 31 2.2 4.42 5.4 If you took a blind look at the numbers above, you might need a second to figure out whether you're more impressed by the overall numbers on the top line or those below it. Skenes' ERA and WAR are spectacular, but it's hard to argue with Wheeler's almost-as-impressive ERA, not to mention his absurd strikeout numbers. There are a couple interesting questions to ponder beyond the stats for these two: Will Wheeler -- who finished a distant second behind Chris Sale in last year's NL Cy Young race (Sale got 26 first-place votes, while Wheeler received four) -- get the benefit of the doubt in another close race? Will voters go against the player with the better WAR? Last year, Sale (6.2 WAR), Wheeler (6.1 WAR) and Skenes (5.9 WAR) "happened" to finish in the same order in the NL Cy Young vote as they did in the NL WAR rankings. Now, let's unpack WAR's role in Cy Young voting a bit further. In last year's AL race, Skubal's WAR of 6.4 was one of the many metrics by which he was in a class of his own. In 2023, Gerrit Cole (7.4 WAR) won the AL Cy Young in a landslide thanks in large part to his big lead atop the WAR leaderboard, while the story for then-Padres ace Blake Snell (6.5 WAR) was the same in the NL. Let's wrap this up by addressing whether either Wheeler and/or Skenes are likely to rest down the stretch of the regular season. If you weren't familiar with 35-year-old Wheeler's recent track record, you might assume there was a chance he wouldn't be a safe bet to rack up the innings. But Wheeler has started 32 games in three of the last four seasons, and it's hard to see that changing this year, especially given that the Phillies are in a dogfight in both the NL East and the National League wildcard hunt. NL Cy Young Best Bet: Zack Wheeler Best odds as of 7/24: -115 (available at FanDuel, ESPN BET) Unfortunately for Skenes' case, it's unlikely that Pittsburgh -- which has one of the worst records in baseball and no playoff hopes -- will trot him out for anywhere near 32 starts. For me, that makes a chalky bet on Wheeler the best NL Cy Young bet as of today. The good news here is that while -115 is not exactly irresistible, it's still well worth a wager at nearly even-money. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
Canada News.Net
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Tigers star LHP Tarik Skubal placed on paternity list
(Photo credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images) Detroit Tigers ace left-hander Tarik Skubal was placed on the paternity list Wednesday with his wife close to giving birth to the couple's second child. Skubal is slated to start Saturday's game against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. A player can miss three games while on the list. 'It'll be a three-day paternity,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters, 'and we'll celebrate another Skubal baby.' Skubal was placed on the list prior to Detroit's afternoon game against the host Pittsburgh Pirates. 'We're on baby watch,' Hinch said. 'It's imminent. We don't really know when the baby is coming. They're anticipating it could be any minute.' Skubal, 28, last started on Sunday when he received a no-decision while striking out 11 in 6 2/3 innings against the host Texas Rangers. He gave up four hits and the run he was charged with scored after he exited in the seventh inning. Skubal is making a run at winning consecutive American League Cy Young Awards. He is 10-3 with a 2.19 ERA in 20 starts this season; he was 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 31 starts when he won the honor last season. The AL starter in the All-Star Game has struck out 164 and walked just 16 in 127 2/3 innings this season. Right-hander Troy Melton was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday and made his major league debut against the Pirates. He was roughed up for six runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out seven, walking two and serving up two homers. Melton, 24, was 2-3 with a 2.99 ERA in 18 appearances (16 starts) at the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season. The Tigers also designated outfielder Brewer Hicklen for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot for Melton. Hicklen, 29, went 2-for-3 with two runs in his lone game with the Tigers. He batted .227 with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 61 games at Toledo.
NBC Sports
21-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Detroit's Tarik Skubal making a bid for a Cy Young repeat. He'd be the first in AL to do that since 2000
It's been a quarter century since an American League pitcher won back-to-back Cy Young Awards. It takes a pretty special pitcher to pull that off — but Tarik Skubal fits the bill. Skubal showed why he's the favorite to win the Cy Young for a second straight year, striking out 11 with no walks Sunday night in Detroit's 2-1 victory over Texas. If the Cy Young indeed goes to him, he'll be the first AL pitcher to earn it in back-to-back seasons since Pedro Martinez's remarkable stretch with the Red Sox in 1999 and 2000. Roger Clemens won consecutive Cy Youngs on two different occasions (1986-87 and 1997-98), and Jim Palmer did it in 1975 and '76. Those are the only AL pitchers besides Martinez to pull that off. It's been a bit more common in the National League: Greg Maddux (1992-95) and Randy Johnson (1999-2002) both won four straight, and Tim Lincecum (2008-09), Clayton Kershaw (2013-14), Max Scherzer (2016-17) and Jacob deGrom (2018-19) are in the two-in-a-row club. National Leaguer Sandy Koufax won the Cy Young in 1965 and 1966, back when there was only one award for both leagues. The win Sunday snapped a six-game losing streak for the Tigers, who still have baseball's best record and an 11-game lead in the AL Central. Not only has Detroit struggled to win games lately, but the All-Star game didn't go great either, with Skubal giving up two runs in the first inning and Tigers teammate Casey Mize allowing a homer in the sixth. Skubal, however, pitched well enough on Sunday to take over the AL lead in ERA. He's at 2.1854, while Boston's Garrett Crochet is at 2.1946. Trivia time In 1988, a Minnesota left-hander won the ERA title by an unusually slim margin, finishing at 2.4465, while Milwaukee's Teddy Higuera was second at 2.4545. Who was that Twins pitcher? Double repeat? Not only does Skubal have a shot at winning two straight Cy Young Awards, but last year's AL MVP — Aaron Judge — has a good chance to repeat as well. Only three times has a league had back-to-back winners of both its MVP and Cy Young — and all three times it happened in the NL. Albert Pujols was MVP and Lincecum won the Cy Young in 2008 and 2009. Barry Bonds was MVP in 2001 and 2002 while Johnson was winning the Cy Young — and Bonds was also MVP in 1992 and 1993 while Maddux was taking Cy Young honors. Line of the week Miami's Kyle Stowers, who hit three homers last Sunday in the final game before the All-Star break, added two more in the Marlins' first game back Friday night. One of those was a two-run walk-off shot that gave Miami an 8-7 win over Kansas City. Honorable mention: Minnesota's Joe Ryan allowed one run in seven innings and struck out 11 in a 7-1 win over Colorado on Sunday. The All-Star right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.63. Comeback of the week The New York Yankees rallied from a 7-2 sixth-inning deficit to beat Atlanta 12-9 on Saturday night. Trent Grisham hit a tiebreaking grand slam with two outs in the top of the ninth. Before that, the Yankees scored four runs in the sixth and got solo homers from Cody Bellinger and Anthony Volpe in the seventh and eighth. Atlanta's win probability peaked at 96.1% in the fifth, according to Baseball Savant. Trivia answer No, it wasn't Frank Viola, the Minnesota lefty who went 24-7 and won the Cy Young that year. The left-hander on the Twins who edged Higuera for the ERA title was Allan Anderson.
