Should Detroit Tigers let Tarik Skubal pitch deeper into games?
The Days of Roar podcast breaks down the caution around Tarik Skubal’s pitch count, plus thoughts from Justin Verlander on pitching deep into games.
WEST SACRAMENTO, CA — Left-hander Tarik Skubal exchanged words with home plate umpire Dan Bellino in the third inning Monday, Aug. 25, during the Detroit Tigers‘ series opener against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park.
The dispute stemmed from a second-pitch four-seam fastball to JJ Bleday, which Bellino called a ball but Skubal argued should’ve been a strike.
Skubal was right; Bellino was wrong.
After the game, Skubal — the reigning American League Cy Young winner who surrendered a grand slam in the seventh inning — had to be reminded of the interaction.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot that even happened,” Skubal said. “I’m not going to say much about it.”
When Bellino took a few steps toward the mound, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch climbed out of the dugout for a mound visit to diffuse the situation.
He wanted to make sure Skubal didn’t get ejected.
He also wanted to send a message to Bellino.
“There was no need for him to lecture Tarik,” Hinch said after Monday’s 8-3 loss. “I was frustrated that he went out and tried to talk to Tarik, so I had to go out to make sure Tarik stayed in the game, but also to let Dan know that I’ll handle our players, and he can handle balls and strikes.”
Tarik Skubal didn’t like the call on the second pitch and let home plate umpire Dan Bellino know.
When Bellino responded and took a few steps toward the mound, manager A.J. Hinch climbed out of the dugout to talk to Skubal and defuse the situation. #Tigers pic.twitter.com/ESX5R3beDH
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) August 26, 2025
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It’s not the first time Skubal has expressed his disagreement about balls and strikes with a home plate umpire, with multiple occurrences this season. Less than three weeks ago, he used the same expletive twice with home plate umpire Tom Hanahan because of a bad call.
This probably won’t be the last time, either.
That’s because Skubal isn’t shy about showing his competitive edge.
“I probably should be a little bit better,” Skubal said after Monday’s game, reflecting on the situation. “They’re human. I understand that it’s part of the game. Missing pitches is part of the game. I probably just shouldn’t say anything. It doesn’t do us any good. It doesn’t do our team any good. It’s tough when you’re out there competing. I play with a pretty good amount of emotion and fire, so it’s tough, but I probably shouldn’t say much. I know he’s not trying to miss calls. It’s not the goal. They want to get the calls right.”
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The reactions from Skubal are directly tied to the intensity of the competition.
His emotions are part of the reason why he has developed into the best pitcher in baseball, as reflected in his AL-leading 2.28 ERA and MLB-leading 212 strikeouts across 166 innings in 26 starts entering Wednesday, Aug. 27. From 2023-25, he has posted a 2.42 ERA in 72 starts.
The Tigers just can’t afford for him to get ejected.
“I think it’s all emotional attachment to the competition,” Hinch said Tuesday, Aug. 26, before the second of three games in the series. “You never want it to boil over or create a distraction or create any angst that’s not productive. Generally, I leave it up to the player’s personality on what he can handle and what he can’t handle. You always want players to speak their mind respectfully. A lot of times, when you’re in this league, you get the leash to handle it, so if it goes too far, then you’ve gone too far. It’s a reality of how to handle situations like that. Tarik has been good about it. I know he’s gotten a lot of attention over being demonstrative on the field. As long as it’s held to the bar of staying in the game and staying focused, then I’m good with it.”
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The A.J. Hinch decision
In the seventh inning Monday, the Athletics had the bases loaded and two outs for right-handed hitter Shea Langeliers, the leadoff hitter set to face Skubal for the fourth time.
The Tigers stuck with Skubal.
“I thought he had enough to get out of the inning,” Hinch said. “He punched the previous two guys on 100 (mph). That’s the competition, and that’s the decision, and he beat us.”
It wouldn’t have been surprising if Hinch had pulled Skubal, given that Langeliers is hitting .369 with a 1.070 OPS against lefties. Right-handed relievers Kyle Finnegan and Brenan Hanifee, both warming in the bullpen, would have been better matchups against Langeliers, according to the data.
On Skubal’s 99th pitch, Langeliers drove a sinker that caught too much of the middle of the strike zone for a grand slam, giving the Athletics a 6-3 lead. Of the six runs, only one was earned because of two errors charged to the Tigers’ defense.
“The last pitch probably was a little bit more middle than I’d like,” Skubal said, “but there was some unlucky stuff that happened inning for it to get to where it was.”
The Tigers ended up losing, 8-3.
“All I have a say in is me trying to execute that pitch,” Skubal said. “Even the last pitch, I was 100% bought in on it, and I just leaked a little middle. That’s part of the game.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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