DETROIT (AP) — Trade deadline target Tarik Skubal and Detroit fans gave each other a warm farewell Wednesday, just in case this was the two-time Cy Young Award winner's final appearance in a Tigers jersey.
Skubal was cheered at every opportunity by a crowd of 34,406 while taking a shutout into the seventh inning against Baltimore. His first standing ovation came when he struck out leadoff hitter Taylor Ward on a 3-2 changeup to record his 1,000th career strikeout.
He reached the mark in 857 innings, breaking Max Scherzer's franchise-best mark of 944 2/3 innings.
He got another ovation when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch removed him after Leody Tavares' RBI single with two out in the seventh.
With Detroit lingering below .500, the Tigers could deal their ace ahead of next Monday’s trade deadline. Skubal is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He has a $32 million salary, a record total in arbitration, after the team offered $19 million, and is expected to sign a massive contract in the offseason.
The 29-year-old lefty said earlier this month that it was his preference is to finish the season with the Tigers to compete for a World Series championship, which has eluded the franchise since 1984.
“Going into spring training and the whole offseason, I’ve never been more motivated to try and win a World Series for this city, the team that drafted me and helped develop me,” he said on July 23.
Detroit has bounced back in June and July but still entered Wednesday at 51-57, 3 1/2 games out of the last AL wild card.
Skubal had experimental surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow and returned to pitch on June 13.
“The way the surgery went is exactly how it was supposed to go,” he said in July. “I don’t know if remarkable is the word I would use.”
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