Tarik Skubal has looked like one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball entering Saturday’s Game 5 of the ALDS between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians.
In his previous two postseason outings – both wins for Detroit – Skubal had pitched a combined 13 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out 14 batters. In Game 5, he ran that scoreless inning streak up to 17 innings.
And then in the bottom of the fifth inning, his luck ran out. He gave up two singles to open the frame, then allowed a third baserunner to reach on an infield single, which loaded the basses. Skubal then hit Jose Ramirez with a pitch, placing a 100-mph delivery on Ramirez’s elbow, walking in a run and ending the streak.
Tarik Skubal plunks José Ramirez to end his postseason scoreless streak at 17.1 innings and we are tied pic.twitter.com/uceYbdG5dH
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 12, 2024
On the next pitch, Lane Thomas really messed up Skubal’s day, sending a low and inside sinker over the wall in left centerfield for a grand slam.
Lane Thomas just hit a grand slam off Tarik Skubal. What a swing.
Guardians 5, Tigers 1. pic.twitter.com/a23FmrN3yn
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 12, 2024
Again, Skubal hadn’t allowed a run in 17 postseason innings. That all changed with two pitches.