Tigers' Tarik Skubal gets honest on upcoming playoff debut after stellar season
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The Detroit Tigers will play postseason baseball this fall. Detroit defeated the Chicago White Sox on Friday night to clinch an AL Wild Card spot. This marks the first time the team has made the playoffs since 2014. This also means that AL Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal will take the mound this postseason.
Skubal spoke with reporters following Detroit’s win on Friday. He is the likely starter for Detroit in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series on Tuesday. And Skubal cannot wait for the opportunity to take the national stage for the Tigers this year.
"It's going to be fun. That's the motivation for me to put in work every offseason and during the season, to get that opportunity and have confidence from (Tigers manager) A.J. (Hinch) and the guys in the clubhouse,” Skubal told MLB Network reporter Jon Morosi.
Tigers, Tarik Skubal cap off improbable run with postseason berth
At the MLB Trade Deadline, the Tigers sold. Detroit traded Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers with minutes to spare. Before that, the Tigers traded the likes of Carson Kelly, Mark Cahna, and Andrew Chafin. It appeared as if Detroit was collecting assets in the midst of another lost season.
On August 11, the Tigers won to move to 56-63 on the year. Detroit was nine and a half games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Only three teams came ahead of them in terms of those outside of the playoff bubble. However, a seven-game gap separated them and the Seattle Mariners, who were the closest to that final wild card spot.
Since then, Detroit has played like the best team in baseball. The Tigers are 30-11 since August 11. They climbed the AL Wild Card standings throughout this improbable run. Detroit entered into a playoff spot within the last week. And on Friday night, they officially punched their ticket.
Detroit was not the only team to punch their postseason ticket, though. The Kansas City Royals are also returning to the postseason. Kansas City failed to defeat the Atlanta Braves on Friday. However, a loss by the Minnesota Twins sent the Royals toward October baseball.
The Tigers and Royals will battle for seeding over the next two games. As things stand, Detroit would go to Baltimore and take on the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Wild Card Series. However, they may also head to Houston for a showdown with the Houston Astros. It will certainly be interesting to see if the Tigers can continue their winning ways in October.
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