CLEVELAND (AP) — Tarik Skubal’s regular season was unforgettable, filled with dominant performances, strikeouts and wins.
His postseason will be remembered for one inning.
And one pitch.
With Detroit’s season on the line, the left-hander gave up a grand slam to Lane Thomas as Cleveland tagged Skubal for five runs in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 7-3 win over the Tigers in Game 5 of the AL Division Series.
For Skubal and the Tigers, who put together a surprising two-month sprint to make the postseason before sweeping Houston in the wild-card round, the end was bitter and biting.
“Obviously, not the outcome you want, but I’m so proud of this team,” said Skubal, who felt he should have given the Tigers more. “It’s incredible what we did. We should be very proud.”
For months, the 27-year-old Skubal was the only positive about the Tigers, who were out of contention and on their way to another third- or fourth-place finish in the AL Central before going 35-16 after Aug. 10.
Skubal led the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts, the pitching triple crown that likely will be followed with the AL Cy Young Award.
He’d gladly trade it for another chance to take the mound in October.
After blanking the Guardians for four innings to extend his postseason scoreless streak to 17 innings, Skubal gave up a leadoff single to Andrés Giménez in the fifth. He struck out Brayan Rocchio before Steven Kwan, who batted .524 (11 for 21) in the series, singled.
David Fry, whose pinch-hit homer in Game 4 helped the Guardians even the series, reached on a weak infield single to load the bases.
Skubal’s scoreless run then ended when he hit José Ramírez on the left hand, forcing in Cleveland’s first run.
The next four came quickly as Thomas turned on Skubal’s first pitch, a 96.9 sinker that got too much of the plate. Cleveland’s center fielder sent it over the wall in left-center for his second homer of the series.
“What a swing,” Skubal said. “The moment was the moment. I’d love to have it back, but earlier in the game, they had the bases loaded and didn’t score. In the moment, you’re thinking about executing the pitch and I didn’t do it.
“I thought my stuff was fine all day, even in the fifth.”
Thomas, who grounded out and popped out in his first two at-bats, was thrilled just to make contact against Skubal.
“With the success that that guy’s had this year, you have to respect the fastball at all times,” he said. “He finally threw me one over the plate. I was telling our hitting coach, ‘Man, I’ve never seen someone throw that hard and just locate in on me so well.’
“You just kind of tip your cap. He threw one over the plate … and I was able to put a good swing on it.”
When he came out after six innings, Skubal was met with hugs and handshakes from all the Tigers.
Manager A.J. Hinch wasn’t about to blame his lefty, and made sure his pitcher understood that.
“Obviously, he gave everything that he could and more,” Hinch said. “Today wasn’t his fault. He was in complete control of the game, and wish we would have staked some runs for him to give him a little bit of breathing room, and it was a big blow.
“This one is going to eat at him through the entire offseason because of what was at stake. But give me that guy again in a playoff series, in a playoff-deciding game, and I look forward to putting his name in the starting lineup as a pitcher.”
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