Detroit Tigers matchups vs Cleveland Guardians pitchers in AL Central
On “Days of Roar,” Cleveland Guardians beat writer Paul Hoynes breaks down the starting pitchers vs. the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central showdown.
CLEVELAND — Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher in the world.
He choked in the biggest game.
Three mistakes from Skubal in the sixth inning doomed the Tigers in a 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, Sept. 23, in the first of three games in the series at Progressive Field. The three mistakes: a throwing error, a wild pitch and a balk.
The Tigers have lost seven games in a row.
With the loss, the Tigers (85-72) squandered their lead in the American League Central to the Guardians (85-72) with five games remaining in the 2025 season. In Tuesday’s game, the Guardians clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker in the 13-game season series.
Skubal — the 2024 AL Cy Young winner and 2025 AL Cy Young favorite — took the mound to start the sixth inning with momentum on his side, protecting a 2-0 lead.
The Guardians scored three runs without the ball leaving the infield.
A leadoff bunt single from Steven Kwan that catcher Dillon Dingler couldn’t grip created pressure, but a throwing error sparked Skubal’s downfall.
Angel MartÃnez dropped down the second consecutive bunt, with the ball bouncing near the first-base line. Skubal ran to the ball and fielded it with his backside to first baseman Spencer Torkelson, so he flipped the ball between his legs like a center hiking a football to the quarterback.
The ball sailed over Torkelson’s outstretched glove and into foul territory. The first of three mistakes from Skubal put two runners in scoring position.
José RamÃrez then chopped a slow roller to third baseman Zach McKinstry. With RamÃrez’s speed, McKinstry had no play at first base as the first of three runs scored to cut the Tigers’ lead to 2-1.
The Guardians scored their second run on Skubal’s wild pitch with runners on the corners — his second of three mistakes. Not only did the lead runner score for a 2-2 tie, but the trail runner advanced to second base.
After that, Skubal balked the runner to third base.
It was his third and final mistake.
The Guardians took a 3-2 lead when Gabriel Arias grounded out for the second out in the sixth inning.
The Guardians tacked on two runs for a 5-2 lead in the seventh inning.
Everything fell apart when right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle walked nine-hole hitter Austin Hedges with two outs.
Manager A.J. Hinch brought in right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan (rather than left-handed relievers Tyler Holton or Brant Hurter) for a matchup with Kwan, a left-handed hitter who performs better against right-handed pitchers.
Kwan took advantage of the matchup.
He slapped Finnegan’s middle-away fastball for a double down the left-field line, putting two runners in scoring position. Pinch-hitter Daniel Schneemann, a fellow lefty hitter, drove in both runners with a two-strike single off Finnegan’s splitter.
That’s how the Guardians increased their lead to 5-2.
The Tigers and Guardians are scheduled to play Wednesday (6:40 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit) in the second of three games in the series, with right-hander Jack Flaherty set to start. The Guardians have won 16 of 18 games.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Riley Greene blasts home run
For the Guardians, right-hander Gavin Williams allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with 12 strikeouts across six innings, throwing 91 pitches.
The Tigers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning on back-to-back doubles from McKinstry and Wenceel Pérez, then increased their advantage to a 2-0 lead on a solo home run from Riley Greene in the sixth inning.
It was Greene’s 35th home run in 153 games.
But the Tigers missed a scoring opportunity in the fourth inning, stranding the bases loaded.
The Tigers loaded the bases on Torkelson’s walk, Greene’s single and Dingler’s walk, but both McKinstry and Pérez struck out, stranding the runners.
Williams struck out Pérez with a curveball in the dirt.
Tarik Skubal survives walks
Skubal walked three batters.
He didn’t let the walks turn into runs.
In the first, Skubal avoided damage on MartÃnez’s infield single and RamÃrez’s four-pitch walk by using his changeup to induce a double play against David Fry that ended the inning.
In the fifth, Skubal worked around Kyle Manzardo’s double and Jhonkensy Noel’s six-pitch walk by striking out Brayan Rocchio and getting Hedges to ground into a force out.
Skubal survived traffic on the bases in the first, second and fifth innings, but his three mistakes in the sixth inning were too much for him (and the Tigers) to overcome.
The 28-year-old allowed three runs (one earned run) on four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts across six innings, throwing 95 pitches.
Skubal owns a 2.21 ERA in 31 starts.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.