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Tarik Skubal is the best reason why the Detroit Tigers can upset the Houston Astros

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Tarik Skubal is the best reason why the Detroit Tigers can upset the Houston Astros

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The celebration spread throughout Comerica Park — players hugged, took selfies and donned postseason T-shirts — and Tarik Skubal walked the field with one thought in mind.

“Where’s the beer?” he yelled late Friday night after the Detroit Tigers clinched a spot in the 2024 American League Wild Card Series.

He took a few more steps.

“Where's the beer?” he repeated.

That's the funny side of Skubal, the Tigers star who will face the Houston Astros on Tuesday.

He's the same fun-loving guy – he hasn't changed one bit in that regard – even after becoming the AL's best pitcher.

There are many ways to measure a pitcher, but this one is hard to beat: Skubal won the AL Pitching Triple Crown with 18 wins, 228 strikeouts and a 2.39 ERA.

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That alone is difficult to put into proper mental perspective in real time – in a few years it will be much easier. But consider this: Skubal is only the third Tiger to win the pitching Triple Crown, joining Justin Verlander in 2011 and Hal Newhouser in 1945.

I mean, drop the mic, Tarik.

There are so many reasons for this success and it all starts with his talent, just the magic in his arm and what he can do with a baseball.

But it also depends on his personality.

Skubal is stubborn. Fearless. Incredibly talented. And fiercely competitive.

And he's the reason I believe the Tigers will win this series.

With a young team and almost no playoff experience, Skubal is exactly who you want on the mound in Game 1.

He is the key to this entire series.

I expect Skubal to give them a strong outing, get the win in Game 1 and set up the bullpen for AJ Hinch to unleash “pitching chaos” on the Astros – a nine-man opponent that Hinch managed at one point has.

“Our plan, to give you a quick overview, is Tarik Skubal (Tuesday) and pitching chaos the rest of the way, as it has been for the last two months,” Hinch said at a media session Monday afternoon. “Our players buy in. … They take the ball, they try to get their outs, they give me the ball, and someone else comes in that got us here, and that's going to help us or put us in the best position, that will help us win this series – despite Tarik Skubal.”

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A boost after the All-Star break

It's easy to watch Skubal's season in its entirety and be amazed.

But the story behind the story has so many layers.

Right after the All-Star break, Skubal was tired and exhausted; He didn't recover from starts as usual.

So he went to the Tigers' training room and asked for help.

“I remember walking in there and saying, 'Hey guys, I'm not recovering as quickly as I am,'” Skubal said. “And they basically made the adjustments and got me right back on the mound.”

This optimization, this help is one of the reasons why Skubal was able to make 31 starts – a career high.

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“First of all, I think you have to give credit to the organization, the strength coaches and the training room,” Skubal said. “That’s why I think you have to give credit where credit is due. And I think these people, I trust them with everything. You know, it’s the body, right?”

This change is the reason why Skubal was able to log 192 innings, also a career high.

“If I take the mound and I’m healthy, my chances are good,” Skubal said. “It was great. I feel good. You know, it's different than April. But you know, this time of year makes you feel good, and the stuff that comes out of my hand is about as good as it used to be. That’s why I like where I am.”

How he dealt with this success

Skubal has improved in many areas.

“I think I’ve seen Tarik become a better pitcher,” Hinch said. “He has the pitcher in him whose stuff is a plus. His strike throwing is a plus. His feel for pitching and knowing when to be a dominant fastball-strike thrower on the first pitch or when to use secondary pitches – that's grown. You can see it starting to develop as he becomes dominant in every category.”

But Skubal has another level.

He grew in a different way this year.

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“The part you don't get to see that I get to see is his reaction to it – his work between his starts, his responsibility to himself and his team,” Hinch said. “You know when it's needed most, the presence he has in a clubhouse that's gotten younger and younger as we get further into the season. He was our constant companion. He was our man.

Our mainstay.

What a wonderful way to put it.

“He has managed to gain national attention and still be the same person behind the scenes with the same work ethic and routine,” Hinch said.

Considering this is such a young team with so many young pitchers, that type of presence cannot be overstated.

“For a team that really needed presence in good times and bad, he was simply the best pitcher in baseball,” Hinch said. “And that’s no disrespect to a lot of pitchers who have been dominant at this level this season, and he’s our guy.”

So if you ask me who will win Game 1? Who will set the stage for this entire series? For me there is no doubt.

I go with, as Hinch put it, “our foothold.”

Contact Jeff Seidel: [email protected]. Follow him on X @seideljeff. To read his latest columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.

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