DETROIT -- A.J. Hinch usually greets Tigers pitchers with a first bump or a handshake to indicate whether he has another inning or his work is done. As Tarik Skubal descended the steps to the dugout after a scoreless sixth inning, however, he also got an index finger, an indication from the manager that he had one more inning.
With the Tigers on their way to a 6-0 win over the White Sox, and Skubal on his way to his latest gem, it wasn’t a surprise. The Tigers don’t need to extend Skubal in games like Saturday night’s at Comerica Park; they need him at top level for October. Still, instead of taking it as a sign to empty the tank, Skubal took it as a challenge.
Seven pitches, six strikes and three outs later, Skubal was through seven scoreless innings at 90 pitches, one more pitch than White Sox counterpart Martín Pérez needed to get through four innings. Skubal retired the middle of the White Sox order with cool efficiency. He didn’t hit triple digits on the radar gun -- his hardest pitch all night registered at 98.7 mph according to Statcast -- nor did he rack up more strikeouts. He made quick work.
“I thought he was going to give me the eighth,” Skubal said. “I thought I did a good job of putting him in a tough spot. But I think when he makes his mind up, there’s not really much arguing you can do. But I thought I had at least a little bit of a case.”
It might have been the rare case this year where Skubal still had something left in the tank at the end of an outing.
“I mean, if he would’ve given me the fist bump, I think I would’ve had some more to go, even if I was tired,” Skubal said. “I think that’s just being a competitor: You’re gonna ride until the gas tank’s empty.”
That was fine. He still had done enough for a little bit of history.
Skubal’s 12th outing of six or more scoreless innings tied former Cardinals great Adam Wainwright for the most in a season since Major League Baseball lowered the mound in 1969, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. Wainwright did it in 2014.
Skubal has tossed 14 consecutive scoreless innings since the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers hit a grand slam off of him on Aug. 25. In the process, he has lowered his ERA to an AL-best 2.10, trailing only Paul Skenes (1.98) among qualified MLB hurlers. His six strikeouts allowed him to retake the AL lead (222) from Boston’s Garrett Crochet.
The only category keeping Skubal (13-4) from a potential second consecutive pitching Triple Crown is wins; he’s three behind Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón for the AL lead, a tough gap to close with likely three starts left in the regular season.
That still shouldn’t be a major obstacle for a second consecutive AL Cy Young award.
“I think it’s just incredible what we’re watching,” Hinch said, “with our team but specifically with Tarik.”
What Skubal has done the last two starts since the A’s got him in a 24-pitch seventh inning has been a display of efficiency. His longest inning since then was a 20-pitch second inning last Sunday in Kansas City, the only inning in his last two starts in which he has allowed multiple baserunners. He has racked up 10 strikeouts over two starts combined, but he has avoided the long at-bats that would run up his pitch count.
Skubal was battling command early in Saturday's outing, walking Chase Meidroth to lead off the game and throwing one first-pitch strike over his first five batters. He faced only one more three-ball count all night.
"You want to be aggressive early in the count,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “He wasn't in the zone as much early as you typically see him. Obviously a good fastball. I thought the changeup was really good. And yeah, he just really dominated us."
Skubal was one out away from taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning for the third time this season when Bryan Ramos lunged for a first-pitch changeup and hit a blooper into left field for a two-out double in the fifth.
Meidroth’s two-out bloop single in the sixth was the only other hit off Skubal, who allowed only one ball in play over 95 mph in exit velocity -- a Lenyn Sosa flyout to the warning track in center to end the opening inning.
It was another sign that he’s rounding his game into form in just time for his biggest outings of the season to come.