Tarik Skubal is done after a sterling six scoreless innings and 88 pitches. In the first postseason game of his career, Skubal looked every bit like the regular-season ace who won a pitching Triple Crown. He dispatched the Astros on five pitches in the first inning. Houston finally adjusted and made him grind through 29 pitches in the fourth, but Skubal struck out Jeremy Pena and Victor Caratini and came off the mound with his patented, “let’s go” roar.
By the sixth, though, Skubal had called trainer Ryne Eubanks and A.J. Hinch out to the mound during an at-bat against Alex Bregman. It was not immediately clear what was bothering Skibal. But after throwing a few practice pitches, he gave Hinch a thumbs up and remaining in the game. Bregman hit a rocket single off the left-field wall, but Skubal responded by striking out Yainer Diaz, firing his final pitch at 99.4 mph.
Per the Tigers radio broadcast, Skubal and Hinch walked down the stairs leading to the clubhouse after the inning, perhaps an indicator something is still amiss.
