Digers Tigers fans’ thoughts on potential Tarik Skubal trade
Tigers fans had mixed feelings about the team potentially trading ace lefty Tarik Skubal on Friday, July 24, 2026, at Comerica Park.
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made sure the sellout crowd in Detroit got its money’s worth – even in just a short span.
Behind Skubal’s best performance of the season, the Tigers beat the visiting Kansas City Royals, 2-1, on Friday, July 24, at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Tigers are now 13-5 in the month of July and now just four games under .500 for the first time since mid-May.
Skubal exited the game in the eighth inning after getting designated hitter Carter Jensen to fly out to center field. The sellout crowd then gave an extended ovation to Skubal, who many consider to be the top target ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. But among the deadline noise, Skubal gave a masterful performance, striking out a season-high 12 batters while allowing just one run over 7⅓ innings. He and relievers Brenan Hanifee and Kenley Jansen needed just 2 hours, 7 minutes to polish off the Tigers’ American League Central rivals.
Detroit scored two runs in the first inning off Kansas City opener Beck Way, but the bats went cold immediately after, with Royals bulk reliever Noah Cameron pitching seven scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Second baseman Hao-Yu Lee went 2-for-3 and drove in the go-ahead RBI in the first inning, which turned out to be the last run the Tigers needed with Skubal pitching so effectively.
The win moved the Tigers to 5½ games back in the AL Central (with division leader Chicago still playing) and 3½ back of the third and final AL wild-card spot, held by the Boston Red Sox (also still playing as the Tigers wrapped up their game with the Royals).
On the mound: Tarik Skubal as sharp as ever
Skubal’s first bit of trouble came in the third inning, as he allowed a leadoff double to left fielder Isaac Collins followed by a walk to second baseman Michael Massey. But after a Tyler Tolbert sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, Skubal struck out Jensen and center fielder Lane Thomas to end the scoreless frame, letting out a roar after getting Thomas to swing over a picture-perfect changeup.
The fourth inning started about the same, with Skubal allowing a leadoff double to catcher Salvador Perez. Three batters later, third baseman Nick Loftin drove in Perez with a two-out double, though Skubal ended the inning by striking out Collins for his seventh punchout of the game.
Through six innings, Skubal got whiffs on 21 of 42 Kansas City swings (with seven whiffs on 11 changeups), registering a remarkable 50% whiff rate. As a point of comparison, the MLB pitcher with the highest whiff rate entering Friday’s game – San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller – has averaged a 47.6% whiff rate this season.
Skubal got revenge on Perez in the sixth inning with a strikeout, his 10th of the game. He got his 11th on first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to lead off the seventh inning, setting his season high, and his 12th two batters later on Collins.
Hanifee came in for Skubal with one out in the eighth inning and got the final two outs of the frame, allowing closer Jansen to register his 12th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
At the plate: Opener and shut
It didn’t take long for the Tigers’ offense to get going.
Third baseman Colt Keith and designated hitter Gleyber Torres began the game with back-to-back singles off Way, who then hit catcher Dillon Dingler to load the bases. Left fielder Riley Greene was a few feet from hitting an opposite field grand slam, but a leaping catch from Collins at the left field wall turned the smash into a sacrifice fly, scoring Keith from third.
Two batters later, Lee drove in the second run of the game on a two-out, RBI single up the middle, giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.
But Detroit’s bats shut down once Way gave way to bulk reliever Noah Cameron, who allowed just two hits over the next six innings while keeping Kansas City competitive. Cameron’s best inning came in the third when he struck out Dingler, Greene and first baseman Spencer Torkelson in order, and he got his seventh strikeout of the game by punching out Keith to end the seventh inning.
Next up: Two more with the Royals
The Tigers (50-54) face the Royals in the third game of their four-game set at Comerica Park on Saturday (1:10 p.m., Detroit SportsNet), with Tigers righty Casey Mize (4-6, 2.79 ERA) facing Royals righty Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.66 ERA). The series wraps up with another matinee on Sunday (1:40 p.m.) as lefty Framber Valdez takes the mound for the Tigers. The Tigers will end their seven-game homestand with three games with the Baltimore Orioles – another sub-.500 wild-card contender – from Monday-Wednesday.
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You can reach Christian at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.freep.com ’
