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Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal not available in must-win ALDS Game 4, set to start Game 5
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- Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal not available in must-win ALDS Game 4, set to start Game 5
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is scheduled to start Game 5 of the ALDS.
One problem: There might not be a Game 5.
The Tigers need to win Game 4 of the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Comerica Park to force a winner-take-all Game 5, but Skubal won't be available to pitch out of the bullpen in Game 4.
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"No, Tarik is going to start Game 5," manager A.J. Hinch said before Wednesday's game. "He has done his normal prep, as he would, to be prepared for an all-in Game 5."
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the second inning in Game 2 of the ALDS at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Sunday, Oct. 05, 2025.
Skubal hasn't pitched as a reliever since 2021.
He has a 3.38 ERA across 10⅔ innings in his three-game career as a reliever.
In 2021, Skubal came out of the bullpen in back-to-back outings April 21 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and April 25 against the Kansas City Royals , both at Comerica Park. He also came out of the bullpen once as a rookie in 2020, doing so against the Royals on Sept. 27 at Kauffman Stadium.
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From 2023-25, Skubal owns a 2.39 ERA in 77 starts during the regular season, including a 2.39 ERA in 31 starts in 2024 and a 2.21 ERA in 31 starts in 2025.
He won the 2024 AL Cy Young Award in 2024 and is the favorite to win again in 2025, which would make him the first AL repeat winner since Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000.
The Tigers have a 22-11 record in the 33 games started by Skubal in 2025, combining the regular season and postseason — though the Tigers have lost four of his last five starts.
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His dominance gives the Tigers hope for Game 5.
"Having Tarik Skubal there gives us optimism and probably gives them a little bit of concern," Hinch said, "but there's a lot of baseball to be played before we've earned the right to give Tarik the ball again."
Skubal has five starts in his postseason career, posting a 2.14 ERA with six walks and 43 strikeouts over 33⅔ innings.
He started against the Mariners during a 3-2 loss in Game 2 of the ALDS, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk with nine strikeouts across seven innings. He threw 97 pitches.
He also started against the Cleveland Guardians during a 2-1 win in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series, allowing one run on three this and three walks with 14 strikeouts across 7⅔ innings. He threw 107 pitches.
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For Game 4, the Tigers are starting right-hander Casey Mize .
But Skubal won't be available to pitch out of the bullpen.
If Game 4 ends in a win, then the Tigers will compete in a winner-take-all Game 5 against the Mariners on Friday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle — with Skubal starting.
"We're very excited for that situation," catcher Dillon Dingler said before Wednesday's game. "At the same time, we got to get there, which means we got to take care of business. That's going to be a really good feeling after we win the game today."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal won't pitch in Game 4 of ALDS vs Mariners
