The Tigers have a chance to wrap up their home series against the Orioles on Wednesday afternoon, and they’re sending Tarik Skubal to the mound with the job in front of him.
Detroit handled Baltimore 14-0 on Tuesday night to square the series, with Javy Baez back in the lineup and Kevin McGonigle, Eduardo Valencia and Gleyber Torres giving the offense a needed lift. Troy Melton did the heavy lifting on the other side of the ball, carving through seven shutout innings in the rout.
Now it’s Skubal’s turn, and the left-hander may be making what could be his final appearance in a Tigers uniform. The 29-year-old has been locked in over his last five starts, allowing two runs or fewer each time out.
In that span, he has posted a 1.48 ERA and 1.76 FIP over 30 1/3 innings, giving up 19 hits, including two home runs, and five walks while striking out 44. He has also hit two batters.
Baltimore counters with another lefty in Trevor Rogers, who has been piling up quality starts. He has six in his last seven outings and three straight, with the lone miss coming when he fell an inning short of the minimum after throwing five shutout innings. Over that stretch, Rogers has worked to a 1.44 ERA and 2.45 FIP across 43 2/3 innings, allowing 31 hits, one home run and 12 walks while striking out 39.
Rogers already saw Detroit earlier this season on May 24, when he took the loss in the second game of a doubleheader. In that 4-1 Orioles defeat at Camden Yards, he gave up four runs on four hits, including one homer, and two walks while striking out two in 4 2/3 innings.
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Tigers Just Sent A Troubling Deadline Signal Fans Can't Ignore
The Tigers have already started to show their hand before the trade deadline, and it came through a pitching shuffle that says plenty about how theyre thinking. By moving Casey Mize out of his scheduled spot and going with a bullpen game instead, Detroit created some extra room on the calendar and, just as important, some extra room in the front offices plans as the deadline approaches.
That kind of flexibility usually means the conversations are not limited to one name or one lane. Tarik Skubal remains the obvious headliner in any deadline discussion, but the Tigers also appear positioned to explore more than a single move, with Gleyber Torres among the players who could come up as the market takes shape. Nothing is done yet, but the setup suggests Detroit may be preparing for a busier finish than a simple one-for-one deal. [Read more 🡒]