Tigers star Skubal starts as Detroit faces Cleveland in Game 5 of the ALDS matchup

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tarik Skubal is longing for another emotional outburst in October that will have Tigers fans cheering — even if it embarrasses his mother.

The heat-throwing Skubal, baseball's best pitcher all season, will start Saturday's Game 5 for Detroit in a worthy, make-or-break finale to a shaky AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.

This backyard brawl goes the distance.

“I don’t think anyone thought it wouldn’t last five games,” said Guardians first-year manager Stephen Vogt, who will start Matthew Boyd before turning his bullpen loose. “That’s how our season went. That was their season.”

It will be the second start of the series for Skubal, who pitched seven scoreless innings in Game 2, which the Tigers won 3-0 on Kerry Carpenter's three-run homer in the ninth inning off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.

While Skubal engineered an inning-ending double play in the fifth inning to keep the game scoreless, he didn't hold back, shouting profanities at Cleveland's raucous crowd as he walked toward the Detroit dugout.

A national television audience read his lips. This also applied to those closest to Skubal.

His mother Laura didn't approve of his salty language and posted a message on social media to express her disappointment.

“Tarik Daniel!!” she wroteusing Skubal's middle name, a clear sign that he was in deep trouble.

The moment was nothing new for Skubal, who has struggled with his emotions for years as an athlete and must learn to channel them more positively.

As for Mama Skubal, the left-hander said she is someone who can talk.

“You should hear my mother growing up,” he said, smiling. “That’s interesting that she would want to make that comment. I've seen her get ejected from a lot of high school basketball games. So I guess it runs in the family a little bit.”

Skubal said his father felt the same way.

“Genetics,” he said, shrugging.

The Tigers and Guardians were given a literal change by the MLB on Friday as MLB feared there could be inclement weather Saturday night and moved first pitch from 8:08 p.m. to 1:08 p.m

And while the seven-hour change certainly caused fans to have their plans disrupted, the move from prime time to midday didn't seem to bother any of the players.

“We had a lot of day games this year,” Cleveland rookie reliever Cade Smith said.

None are as big as this one, however, as the Tigers and Guardians look to advance to the ALCS and face the New York Yankees, who eliminated the Kansas City Royals in four games on Thursday and await their next AL Central opponent.

Detroit made an unexpected trip to Game 5. As of August 10, the Tigers were 55-63, playing some young players from the minors and seemingly on their way to a 10th straight postseason at home.

But they finished the regular season 31-13, beat Houston in the wild-card round and are tied with the AL Central champions.

And while they couldn't beat the Guardians at home, they'll get another chance – perhaps without slugger Kerry Carpenter, who suffered a hamstring injury in Game 4 – and this time with Skubal in the starting lineup.

No pitcher in either league has reached or even come close to his level in 2024. The 27-year-old led the AL in wins, ERA, strikeouts and perplexed hitters. The Tigers are 23-10 when he pitches.

His reign has continued into the postseason, as Skubal did not allow a run in 13 innings while posting 14 strikeouts. He hasn't lost since August 2 – a span of 11 starts – and hasn't been scored on in his last 24 innings overall.

“He loves competition,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “He’s as excited about it as anyone I’ve ever put on the mound. Nobody can pass the ball better in this game than Tarik.”

The Guardians were only able to score on him three times in Game 2.

“He just has everything,” Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges said. “He’s a unit on the mound. He has a crazy delusion. He throws 100 (mph). He has two different fastballs. He has off-speed wipeout. He is the ultimate competitor.

“Every team dreams of having him as an ace. This guy is as good as it gets in our league.”

For the second time in the series, Skubal will face Boyd, his close friend and former Tigers teammate who never imagined such a situation. Just months ago, Boyd wondered if he would ever play in the major leagues again after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.

He pitched in his driveway at home, on the school fields, wherever he could, hoping for another chance. The Guardians gave him one by signing him in July.

Just moments after Vogt told him he would get the ball for Game 5, Boyd was overwhelmed by the reality of pitching in Cleveland's biggest game yet.

“Just gratitude,” Boyd said, unable to hold back tears. “All these days. You're in the gym and that's what you dream about. That's what you want and you're doing it. You're excited about it and that's what you want. You dream about everything that leads to this.”

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