Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made history on Sunday, pitching a complete game with 13 strikeouts and no walks in a 5-0 shutout win over the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. The 28-year-old lefty’s dominant outing marked his first major league complete game since 2015.
Skubal’s impressive performance came after a crowd of enthusiastic fans, who gave him a standing ovation as he entered the mound for the ninth inning. The Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch praised Skubal’s intensity and effort, saying “When he’s got full throttle, the sky is the limit.”
The win prevented a four-game sweep by the Guardians and cemented Skubal’s reputation as one of the best pitchers in baseball. His latest achievement includes becoming the only major leaguer to throw a shutout with 13 or more strikeouts and fewer than 100 pitches since pitch counts records started in 1988.
Skubal’s performance was marked by a nearly flawless outing, with just two hits allowed and no walks through five innings. He ended the game with a strikeout of Gabriel Arias on a 102.6 mph fastball, the fastest strikeout pitch in the majors since tracking began in 1988.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45315747/tigers-ace-tarik-skubal-throws-1st-cg-mlb-career-k-13