Tarik Skubal Outshines Zack Wheeler as Tigers Edge Phillies in Ace Showdown

In this elite pitching duel, Tarik Skubal proved himself to be the real ace. In today's division showdown, Tigers' left-hander Skubal overpowered Phillies' right-hander Zack Wheeler, pitching 7 innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks, resulting in a 7-5 win for his team. "I was in great form today," Skubal said after the game, celebrating the arrival of his second son, "Winning is the ultimate goal."

The Tigers' lineup was also firing on all cylinders:

• Javier Báez: Home run + triple, 4 RBIs
• Colt Keith: Home run, 3 hits
• Wenceel Pérez: 3 singles
• Gleyber Torres and Kerry Carpenter each hit a home run

Skubal (11-3) used a 99 mph four-seam fastball and nearly 90 mph changeup to stifle the Phillies' lineup until a brief hiccup in the seventh inning. Wheeler (9-5), due to high pitch count, exited the game without getting an out in the seventh. "I love this kind of matchup," said Tigers' manager A.J. Hinch, "When strong teams collide and aces take the mound, the atmosphere is impeccable."

Before the game, Hinch emphasized the importance of scoring: American League Cy Young winner Skubal has an ERA of 2.09, while National League's second Wheeler has an ERA of 2.56. Pérez set the tone with a single in the second inning after a nine-pitch battle (including 2 balls and 3 strikes followed by 3 foul balls). "Opportunities against Wheeler are limited, but we forced him to throw a lot," Hinch pointed out. In the third inning, Keith and Carpenter hit back-to-back homers to break the deadlock, with Keith targeting a 96 mph fastball on the first pitch.

Skubal struck out the first six batters he faced, retiring 10 consecutive hitters from the third to the sixth inning. In the sixth with two outs, left fielder Riley Greene made a spectacular catch at the warning track to prevent a run. "Greene makes those plays regularly; he's a reliable defender," Hinch praised. Wheeler threw 95 pitches in six innings and exited after three pitches in the seventh due to a teammate's error, allowing Báez to hit a two-run homer, followed by Torres with a solo shot to extend the lead to 5-0.

The five-run lead was crucial—before the bottom of the seventh, Tigers' Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer to help the Phillies claw back three runs. Skubal allowed 3 runs on 98 pitches, bringing his American League strikeout total to 181. "The seventh inning was frustrating," he admitted. Phillies' Bryce Harper remarked, "Facing him is a lot of fun, but today we were completely shut down."

In the eighth, Harper's two-run homer narrowed the gap to 7-5, but Kyle Finnegan, who joined the team at the trade deadline, managed to escape the jam, earning his 21st save with a perfect ninth inning. "Baseball is full of drama," Hinch concluded, "If you stick around, you'll be rewarded with surprises."