The Detroit Tigers finished the MLB regular season with just three wins in their last 16 games. Their collapse was so abrupt that they lost the top spot in the American League Central Division and almost missed out on a playoff berth. Few gave them much of a chance at the start of the Wild Card round, but Tarik Skubal brought hope back to Motor City fans
The left-hander turned in a phenomenal performance in the first wild-card game against Cleveland, who suffered at the hands of an increasingly dominant pitcher. The Tigers ace threw 46 of the 50 fastest pitches in the duel, surpassed 100 mph 11 times and caused a 46% swing-and-miss rate (26 of 56) from his opponents.
This translated into a spectacular mark of 14 strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work, in which he allowed only three hits and one run. Skubal equaled the Tigers’ record for most strikeouts in a postseason game, held by Joe Coleman for 53 years. In addition, the left-hander set a new personal best on the most demanding stage.
“Tarik set an incredible tone for us,” said Detroit mentor A.J. Hinch. “He’s been incredible all season, but what a performance in the biggest moments, on the biggest stage, he put us in a great position to win the game.”
What a performance in the biggest moments, on the biggest stage
Skubal’s 14 strikeouts broke the record for a Wild Card game, set five years ago. The mark in question was held by Gerrit Cole and Clayton Kershaw, who struck out 13 in the 2020 wild-card games.
Cole did so on September 29 in the first Wild Card game between the Yankees and Cleveland, while Kershaw emulated him two days later (October 1) in the second game of the series between the Dodgers and the Brewers.
If we review the complete history of the postseason (regardless of the series), only 13 pitchers had struck out 14 or more batters:
- Bob Gibson-17 (1968 World Series between Cardinals and Tigers)
- Kevin Brown-16 (1998 NLDS between Padres and Astros)
- Roger Clemens-15 (2000 Championship Series between Yankees and Mariners)
- Gerrit Cole-15 (2019 ALDS between Astros and Rays)
- Livan Hernandez-15 (1997 NLCS between Marlins and Braves)
- Sandy Koufax-15 (1963 World Series between Dodgers and Yankees)
- Mike Mussina-15 (1997 ALCS between Orioles and Indians)
- Mike Boddicker-14 (1983 ALCS between Orioles and White Sox)
- John Candelaria-14 (1975 Championship Series between Pirates and Reds)
- Joe Coleman-14 (1972 ALCS between Tigers and Athletics)
- Carl Erskine-14 (1953 World Series between Dodgers and Yankees)
- Tim Lincecum-14 (2010 NLDS between Giants and Braves)
- Mike Scott (1986 NLCS between Astros and Mets)
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