DETROIT (AP) 鈥� Trade deadline target Tarik Skubal and Detroit fans gave each other a warm farewell Wednesday, just in case this was the two-time Cy Young Award winner’s final appearance in a Tigers jersey.
What happened after Skubal left made it all the more likely this was indeed goodbye.
was cheered at every opportunity by a crowd of 34,406 while taking a shutout into the seventh inning against Baltimore, but then the Orioles rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat . The loss leaves the Tigers 51-58 and well outside playoff position in the final year they have Skubal under contract.
The vibes were great early. Skubal got first standing ovation came when he struck out leadoff hitter Taylor Ward on a 3-2 changeup to record his 1,000th career strikeout.
鈥淔or some reason, strikeout marks hit differently for me,鈥� he said. 鈥淩eaching 200 strikeouts for the first time was a huge milestone for me, and as I was getting close to 1,000, it just felt really cool.鈥�
He reached the mark in 857 innings, breaking Max Scherzer’s franchise-best mark of 944 2/3 innings.
He got another ovation when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch removed him after Leody Tavares’ RBI single with two out in the seventh.
鈥淚t is always special when our fans get to their feet and give you a pretty good ovation,鈥� he said. 鈥淗opefully, they feel like I’ve given everything to the team and the city, because I truly have.鈥�
The Tigers led 7-1 when Skubal came out and appeared to be well on their way to a win over a team they could be battling for a wild-card spot in September. Instead, the Orioles turned one seventh-inning run into five, tied the game with two in the eighth, then got three more in extra innings.
鈥淥bviously, this was a tough one,鈥� Skubal said. 鈥淲e were up 7-0 and end up losing. … I don’t even know what the final score was, but this one hurts.鈥�
The Tigers seem increasingly likely to deal their ace ahead of next Monday鈥檚 trade deadline. Skubal is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He has a $32 million salary, a record total in arbitration, after the team offered $19 million, and is expected to sign a massive contract in the offseason.
鈥淚’m just trying to live in the moment,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are a lot of things going on around me that I can’t control.鈥�
Hinch feels the same way.
鈥淚 just can’t think in hypotheticals 鈥� I just can’t,鈥� he said when asked about the possibility of Skubal leaving. 鈥淚’ll have a ton to say when and if and where and whenever, but it’s just a waste of my time talking hypotheticals.鈥�
earlier this month that it was his preference is to finish the season with the Tigers to compete for a World Series championship, which has eluded the franchise since 1984.
鈥淕oing into spring training and the whole offseason, I鈥檝e never been more motivated to try and win a World Series for this city, the team that drafted me and helped develop me,鈥� he said on July 23.
Skubal had experimental surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow and returned to pitch on June 13.
鈥淭he way the surgery went is exactly how it was supposed to go,鈥� he said in July. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if remarkable is the word I would use.鈥�
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