A.J. Hinch didn't think twice about lifting Tarik Skubal after the sixth inning of the Tigers' season-ending loss to the Mariners in Game 5 of the ALDS that started Friday night and ended Saturday morning.
Skubal was at 99 pitches through six, with the Tigers holding a 2-1 lead. Hinch went to Kyle Finnegan to start the seventh. Finnegan allowed a walk and a hit and turned it over with two outs to Tyler Holton, who allowed a game-tying single to pinch-hitter Leo Rivas.
Hinch called it an "easy decision" to remove Skubal after he gave the Tigers everything he had in his left arm, flexing and roaring after striking out Cal Raleigh on a 101 mile-per-hour heater to end the sixth.
"After the fifth, I checked in on him, how he was doing physically and emotionally, and we both knew that he had one (inning) left," said Hinch. "He emptied his tank and obviously was emotional coming off the mound, and I think that signals exactly where we were in the game. He gave us everything he could. He's pitched on regular rest now three or four starts in a row. He empties his tank from pitch one. It was an easy decision."
Skubal struck out 13 and walked none over six innings, allowing his only run in the second when Josh Naylor doubled on a half-swing with two strikes, stole third and scored on a sac fly. He allowed four runs over three playoff starts and became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out at least 13 batters in two different games in the same postseason.
He induced 26 whiffs Friday night.
"It's incredible," said Hinch. "He kick-started us in such a good direction. He missed a ton of bats. Again, if you're not a fan of the Tigers and you haven't watched Tarik start after start after start, you're going to see why he gets the love he does, because he's incredible.
"He's an emotional leader. He's someone who brings it on the field. You see it every five or six days. We've asked a lot out of him this season, but specifically this postseason, every five days. You want the ball in his hand, and you want him to represent your club."