In his first start at Comerica Park since returning from left elbow surgery, Tarik Skubal notched 8 strikeouts in the Detroit Tigers' 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday.
Skubal wasn't quite in his back-to-back AL Cy Young Award-winning form, giving up 3 runs and 7 hits (two of them home runs) in 5 2/3 innings. But after telling the Detroit News' Chris McCosky that "we need to play better baseball or else," the left-hander did what he could to help the Tigers — who have the fourth-worst record in MLB — to a win against the AL Central co-leader.
After the two teams traded first-inning home runs, the White Sox tied the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning on singles from Sam Antonacci and Luisangel Acuña, followed by an RBI groundout by Tristan Peters. Chicago then loaded the bases on a Miguel Vargas single, Randal Grichuk walk and Chase Meidroth reaching on a fielder's choice.
Skubal then struck out Colson Montgomery on a changeup (and some help on a high first-pitch strike called by home plate umpire Rob Drake) and pointed at the White Sox dugout as he walked off the mound.
Cameras quickly zeroed in on White Sox pitcher Mike Vasil being the target of Skubal's gesture. Or at least he's the one who visibly responded to the outburst and walked up the dugout steps to confront Skubal.
Skubal wasn't quite in his back-to-back AL Cy Young Award-winning form, giving up 3 runs and 7 hits (two of them home runs) in 5 2/3 innings. But after telling the Detroit News' Chris McCosky that "we need to play better baseball or else," the left-hander did what he could to help the Tigers — who have the fourth-worst record in MLB — to a win against the AL Central co-leader.
After the two teams traded first-inning home runs, the White Sox tied the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning on singles from Sam Antonacci and Luisangel Acuña, followed by an RBI groundout by Tristan Peters. Chicago then loaded the bases on a Miguel Vargas single, Randal Grichuk walk and Chase Meidroth reaching on a fielder's choice.
Skubal then struck out Colson Montgomery on a changeup (and some help on a high first-pitch strike called by home plate umpire Rob Drake) and pointed at the White Sox dugout as he walked off the mound.
Cameras quickly zeroed in on White Sox pitcher Mike Vasil being the target of Skubal's gesture. Or at least he's the one who visibly responded to the outburst and walked up the dugout steps to confront Skubal.
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