Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers ace, on his struggles vs batters 3rd time
TL;DR
Tarik Skubal struggled significantly during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers, leading to a frustrated outburst in the dugout. Manager A.J. Hinch noted it was a mentally challenging day for Skubal despite pitching deep into the game.
Key points
- Tarik Skubal struggled in the seventh inning against the Brewers
- He expressed frustration by throwing his glove and cap
- Manager A.J. Hinch noted it was a mentally challenging day for Skubal
- Skubal pitched deep into the game despite the struggles
- He is a two-time American League Cy Young winner
Mentioned in this story
CINCINNATI – Tarik Skubal blew up.
And not in a good way.
The reigning two-time American League Cy Young winner walked into the dugout in frustration after struggling in the seventh inning Thursday, April 23, against the Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park.
Skubal threw his glove and did the same with his cap. He flipped a small cooler onto the floor as he sat down. He then picked up his glove, only to throw it again.
"Obviously, a mentally challenging day for him," manager A.J. Hinch said. "He got dinged up a little bit at the end with those runs, but he pitched us pretty deep into the game."
THE GAME: Spencer Torkelson picks up Tarik Skubal in Tigers' win over Brewers
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) hands the ball to manager A.J. Hinch (14) for pitching change against Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
The Detroit Tigers saved Skubal from a personal loss by mounting a comeback for a 5-4 win, thanks to a game-tying home run from Jahmai Jones in the eighth inning and a walk-off homer from Spencer Torkelson in the ninth.
But Skubal wasn't the reason for the win.
"Picked me up big time," Skubal said. "Anytime you give me a lead, I'm going to try to do my best to win that game. For them to have my back and pick me up in that situation when I gave the lead away was huge."
In Thursday's game, Skubal surrendered four runs on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts across six-plus innings, throwing 94 pitches. He surrendered three of those four runs in the seventh – without recording an out.
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Here's something to monitor: Skubal has struggled against hitters during his third time through the batting order this season.
Opponents are hitting .433 with three walks and nine strikeouts in 34 plate appearances during Skubal's third time through the order, registering a 1.104 OPS.
That's a big difference from opponents hitting .148 with a .389 OPS during the first time through the order and .180 with a .481 OPS during the second time through the order.
What does Skubal think?
"I'm eight starts in," Skubal said.
He paused.
"I don't know how many starts," Skubal continued.
It's been six starts.
"Even a smaller sample size," he said.
Skubal pointed to his track record of success.
In 2025, Skubal allowed a .233 batting average and a .638 OPS during the third time through the batting order. For comparison, opponents hit .172 with a .498 OPS during the first time and .198 with a .544 OPS in the second time.
"I'll be all right," Skubal said.
As for 2026, Skubal owns a 2.72 ERA with six walks (4.2% walk rate) and 38 strikeouts (26.8% strikeout rate) across 36⅓ innings in six starts. The 29-year-old left-hander has a chance to become the first AL pitcher to three-peat as the Cy Young winner.
Skubal remains elite as one of the best pitchers in baseball, but there's no denying that his performance in 2026 has been worse than 2024 and 2025.
His ERA is higher, his whiff rate is lower and, most notably, opponents are hitting better against him later in the game.
But it's only six starts.
"I mean, they have to hit me, right?" Skubal said. "I think I'm pretty good at this game. I don't put too much merit in the third time through stuff."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal explains third time trouble with Detroit Tigers in 2026
Q&A
What happened to Tarik Skubal during the game against the Brewers?
Tarik Skubal experienced a meltdown in the seventh inning, resulting in frustration and an outburst in the dugout.
How did manager A.J. Hinch describe Tarik Skubal's performance?
A.J. Hinch described it as a mentally challenging day for Skubal, acknowledging he got hit hard at the end but pitched deep into the game.
What specific actions did Tarik Skubal take in the dugout after his struggles?
Skubal threw his glove and cap, flipped a cooler, and expressed his frustration after his performance.
What is Tarik Skubal's recent performance history in the MLB?
Tarik Skubal is the reigning two-time American League Cy Young winner, indicating a strong performance history prior to this game.
