Scubar's spring training foresight shows his might, 11K zero four bad seal Golden Oriole makes team history

Most ace starters opt to stay at home during spring training, especially in Florida, where unpredictable traffic conditions around Lakeland are an option. That's why Tarik Skubal decided to drive nearly two hours to Sarasota, and the decision to face off against the Orioles in the final Grapefruit League match was a sight to behold.

At the time, the Tigers had a team game in Lakeland, but against the Yankees bench. Is it worth running so much for the main force of the showdown Golden Oriole?
"The answer is obvious," the current American League Young Award winner said the next day, "and I love to compete." When I'm up against a familiar top-notch hitter, I bring out the best in me. You'll read the scouting report like you would in the regular season, and that's exactly what I wanted. "

Five weeks later, on Sunday afternoon, Schubal proved the value of the decision with six games without conceding points, zero on hold and 11 strikeouts. Facing the Jin Ying line, which included many of the same players, he won the fifth 11+ strikeout game of his career, helping the Tiger complete the Golden Oriole 7-0 to complete the three consecutive sweeps, ending the home journey with 8 wins and 2 losses.

"Despite the opponent's recent poor form, they will eventually recover," said head coach A.J. Kimchi. "It's a good attacking team and Skubal had to be good today to keep them at bay. Maybe partly due to spring training duel experience, but more to his ability to execute every pitch perfectly – which he pretty much did. "

The win gave the Tigers their best start to the season since 2014 with an 18-10 record, having gone 18-7 since being swept by the Dodgers in the season opener. The 13-3 home performance is the best in team history since the Bennett Park era in 1911.

Oddly enough, Skubal has been responsible for three defeats this season. But Sunday's performance left the Orioles, who had just been swept in Saturday's doubles, without a win. Despite scoring a spot before the third, fourth and fifth innings, Skubal defused the crisis with two strikeouts and a flyball.

At 2-0 in the third inning, Schubal hit Gunnar Henderson with two power speedballs to a speedball to strike out the All-Star with a 99.5mph speedball. In the fourth inning, he made a three-shot strike against Heston Kjerstad with a left-handed speedball to defuse the first and third bases. After a stolen base run from Jorge Mateo in five innings, he struck back against Jackson Holliday and Ramón Laureano before sending Henderson out with a flying ball.

Like Casey Mize the day before, Scubal took advantage of the speed difference to suppress the Orioles. Of the 91 balls, 31 speed balls made 19 swings and 12 misses. The ball-playing strategy came from catcher Dillon Dingler, who quickly earned Scobal's trust since Jake Rogers suffered an oblique injury. The spring training matchup didn't meet Henderson and Holliday, but it provided basic familiarity.

"Maybe it makes me more aware of their standing habits. Skubal explained. The left shot of the first regular season match against the Orioles since 2022 allowed all of Baltimore's starting lineups to swallow K except for Mateo, who knocked on the bases in both matches, becoming the first runner in his career to have two thieves in a single game at the hands of Schubal. Skubal counted just four times to three goals in the game, and in the sixth game he scored a 97.7mph speedball strikeout for Ramón Urías to complete his eighth career double-digit strikeout, and then finished Gary Sánchez's pitching mission with a curveball.

Schubal has achieved "11+ strikeouts and zero guarantees" three times in the past two seasons, tying with Brandon Pfaadt for the most in the major leagues. He became the third Tigers all-time pitcher to "clean scores, zero guarantees, 11+ strikeouts," alongside Aníbal Sanchez (August 3, 2014) and Max Schizer (June 17, 2012).

"I hate escorts," Schubal admits, "and it helps me deal with the beaters." They know I'm going to attack the good ball, so they're more aggressive. "