Tarik Skubal, a trade deadline target, and Detroit fans gave each other a warm farewell on Wednesday, possibly his final appearance in a Tigers jersey. Skubal was cheered at every opportunity by a crowd of 34,406 while taking a shutout into the seventh inning against Baltimore.
Skubal’s Performance
Skubal got his first standing ovation when he struck out leadoff hitter Taylor Ward on a 3-2 changeup to record his 1,000th career strikeout. He reached the mark in 857 innings, breaking Max Scherzer’s franchise-best mark of 944 2/3 innings.
The Tigers led 7-1 when Skubal came out and appeared to be well on their way to a win over a team they could be battling for a wild-card spot in September. Instead, the Orioles turned one seventh-inning run into five, tied the game with two in the eighth, then got three more in extra innings.
Trade Deadline Looms
The Tigers seem increasingly likely to deal their ace ahead of next Monday’s trade deadline. Skubal is eligible for free agency after the World Series and has a $32 million salary, a record total in arbitration.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
