CLEVELAND — The Guardians would be wise to prevail in the next two games of the American League Division Series in Detroit because a winner-take-all scenario Saturday at Progressive Field would require another daunting matchup against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
Facing Skubal this season is akin to challenging prime Mike Tyson to rumble in a dark alley.
“That guy's the best pitcher on the planet right now, and he should be getting an award probably at the end of the year for it,” Guardians starting pitcher Matthew Boyd said.
AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal lives up to the hype in the Detroit Tigers' 3-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians in ALDS Game 2
Skubal met all of the gargantuan expectations placed upon him Monday as the presumptive AL Cy Young Award winner, and the Guardians fell 3-0 in Game 2 at home. The best-of-five series is tied 1-1 and headed to Comerica Park for Games 3 and 4 Wednesday and Thursday. Skubal would start Game 5, if there is one.
“He really only uses three pitches, but he's got four-plus pitches,” Guardians catcher Austin Hedges said. “Everything's got late action. He commands the ball well. That changeup's really special off of he's throwing a hundred with two different types of fastballs. There's a reason he won the [pitching] Triple Crown this year.”
Skubal's dominance overshadowed a gem by his friend, mentor and former Tigers teammate, Boyd, as well as two incredible defensive plays by the Guardians. Rookie right fielder Jhonkensy Noel threw out Justyn-Henry Malloy to prevent a would-be double in the fifth inning, and left fielder Steven Kwan robbed Wenceel Perez of a clutch single with a diving catch in the eighth inning.
In Boyd's first career playoff start, he allowed no runs and four hits, walked two and struck out five in 4⅔ innings.
The Detroit Tigers make the Cleveland Guardians pay for a rare mistake by Emmanuel Clase in Game 2 of the American League Division Series
However, Skubal leaves opponents with a razor-thin margin for error, and Cleveland's backbreaking mistake occurred when Kerry Carpenter hit a two-out, three-run home run off closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning.
For once, Clase proved to be vulnerable. Meanwhile, Skubal maintained the aura of an invincible force.
“He was outstanding,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He's been the best pitcher in the American League starting-wise all year for a reason. Both his fastballs were moving a ton. He was hitting his spots, good sliders, good changeups, and he kept us off balance. He kept making pitches, and we didn't get much, if anything, to hit out over the plate.”
En route to a shutout, Skubal allowed three hits, walked none, hit a batter and struck out eight in seven innings. He had a perfect game intact until Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor smacked a one-out double in the fifth inning. Then Skubal hit Noel, only to escape unscathed when second baseman Andres Gimenez grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
The Guardians had runners at first and third base with one out in the sixth inning after shortstop Brayan Rocchio doubled to left field and Kwan singled to left field. But designated hitter David Fry grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
“He just throws strikes,” Fry said. “He commands the ball. Obviously, he's got a big fastball, but I think the big part is he's just in the zone all the time.”
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal shows Cleveland Guardians fans his intensity and compliments them for the atmosphere at Progressive Field
Skubal didn't hide his competitive fire. Video clips showing him gesturing to the Cleveland crowd and yelling an expletive as he walked off the field between innings circulated on social media.
“I don't really know where I was at mentally in those situations, but I probably shouldn't say some bad words with some cameras on me with kids watching,” he said. “But it was just emotion, raw emotion. The environment here, first off, was great. I think Cleveland fans, this environment was incredible to play in, hostile, all that stuff that as a kid you dream of playing and pitching in front of.”
More Guardians vs. Tigers: Watch Cleveland's Steven Kwan make unbelievable diving catch in ALDS Game 2
In the regular season, Skubal went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 192 innings. His WHIP was 0.92. He also earned a win Oct. 1 in Detroit's 3-1 win over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the wild card series, allowing no runs and four hits, walking one and striking out six. With his encore in Cleveland, he became the sixth pitcher in MLB history to record back-to-back starts of six or more shutout innings to begin a playoff career.
When asked to identify the ingredients to Skubal's success, Boyd said, “It's his makeup, it's his work ethic and the way he goes about his business. He believes in his stuff, and he goes right after guys.”
Skubal and Boyd talked before and after Game 2. They could duel again this weekend, even though the Guardians' best bet would be to return from Detroit with their tickets punched to the AL Championship Series.
Guardians vs. Tigers in Game 2 of ALDS: Watch Cleveland's Jhonkensy Noel cut down a Detroit baserunner with an elite throw
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians' best bet in ALDS is to avoid another clash with Tigers' Tarik Skubal | Ulrich
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