Seattle ― Tarik Skubal was looking to make travel plans for Toronto.
Along the way, he made major-league history.
Skubal, the Tigers ace left-hander, struck out seven batters in a row in Game 5 of the American League Division Series game against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Friday night. The seven in a row is an MLB postseason record. The previous record for strikeouts in a row was six, done by eight different pitchers.
Skubal finished with 13 strikeouts over his six innings, in which he allowed two hits and no walks. The previous record for strikeouts in a winner-take-all postseason game was 12.
The Tigers led, 2-1, through six innings, on a two-run home run by Kerry Carpenter off Mariners left-handed reliever Gabe Speier in the top of the sixth inning.
The winner of Friday night’s game advances to the AL Championship Series, to play the Blue Jays. Game 1 of that series will be Sunday night, at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
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