CLEVELAND —
Tarik Skubal’s regular season was one to remember, filled with dominant performances, strikeouts and wins.
His postseason will be remembered for one episode.
And a launch.
With Detroit’s season on the line, the left-hander allowed a grand slam to Lane Thomas. Cleveland punished Skubal with five runs in the fifth inning and beat the Tigers 7-3 on Saturday in Game 5 of the American League division series.
For Skubal and the Tigers, who made a surprising two-month run to the postseason before sweeping Houston in the wild-card round, the end was bitter.
“Obviously it’s not the outcome you want, but I’m very proud of this team,” said Skubal, who felt he should have given the Tigers more. “It’s incredible what we did. We should feel very proud.”
For months, the 27-year-old Skubal was the only positive thing about the Tigers, who were out of contention and on their way to another season in third or fourth place in the American League Central Division before going 35- 16 from August 10 onwards.
Skubal led the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, a pitching triple crown that will surely be recognized with the American League Cy Young Award.
I would gladly trade it for another opportunity to take the mound in October.
Skubal’s streak of scoreless innings came to an end when he hit José Ramírez in the left hand, forcing Cleveland’s first score.
The next four came early, as Thomas found Skubal’s first pitch, a 96.9 mph sinker that took up much of the plate. The Cleveland center fielder sent the ball over the left-center field wall for his second homer of the series.
Thomas, who hit a ground ball and a fly ball in his first two at-bats, was excited to make contact against Skubal.
“With the success that kid had this year, you have to respect him all the time,” he said. “He finally threw one over the plate to me. I told our hitting coach, ‘Man, I’ve never seen someone throw so hard and spot the ball so well in front of me.'”
Manager AJ Hinch didn’t want to blame his lefty, and he made sure his pitcher understood that.
“Obviously, he gave everything he could give and even more,” Hinch said. “Today was not his fault. He was in complete control of the game, and I would have liked to get some runs for him and give him some breathing room. It was a big blow.
“This will be something that weighs on him throughout the offseason before next season, so it was at stake. But if they give me that guy again in a playoff series, in a decisive playoff game, I’ll look to put him in as the starter.”
