Tigers' Tarik Skubal is due for a break in later innings of his starts
The numbers suggest Skubal is scuffling third time through the order but a deeper look paints a different picture.
Atlanta — Make no mistake, Tarik Skubal is still doing Tarik Skubal-like things on the mound. He enters his start against the Braves Wednesday night with a sub-1 WHIP and a sub-3 ERA. He’s limiting hitters to a .
589 OPS with minimal slug (. 328). And he's been triggering no-hit watches in his last four starts: ▶ Eleven straight outs to start the game against the Brewers.
▶ Four no-hit innings against the Red Sox. ▶ No-hitter into the sixth inning against the Marlins. ▶ Four scoreless innings against the Twins.
But — there’s always a but — with the exception of the Marlins start, the others didn’t end like Skubal would like. Against the Brewers, he lost a 3-1 lead in the seventh inning. It’s not an issue.