Tarik Skubal did as Tarik Skubal does. That it's beginning to feel ordinary might be the most extraordinary part of what we're watching. After greeting Skubal with a handshake that became a bearhug as the Tigers' ace came down the dugout steps following yet another dominant start -- this one on the national stage in the Tigers' 3-0 win over the Twins -- A.J. Hinch said, "There’s a lot of love for that guy, because of everything he does when everybody expects it."
"Everybody in the league expects this guy to be perfect," said Hinch.
Skubal flirted with it Sunday night. He settled for seven innings, one hit, and 13 strikeouts. The sell-out crowd at Comerica Park stood and cheered when he departed the mound after ringing up the final batter he faced on a 100 mph heater, and Skubal pounded his mitt to the fans in a salute of his own.
"I didn't want to walk off the mound with anything left in the gas tank," he said.
In the first Sunday Night Baseball game at Comerica Park in eight years, the Tigers and their fans gave ESPN good reason to come back. It wasn't just Skubal's electric left arm. Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter provided the power with a pair of homers, Spencer Torkelson flashed some leather with a perfectly-turned 3-6-3 double play in the eighth, and Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest, one of the best bullpen duos going, did as they do and nailed down the final six outs. In front of 40,000 strong in downtown Detroit.
It was a polished performance by the AL-leading Tigers, who have opened up an 11.5 game lead in the AL Central and are tied with the Dodgers for the best record (53-32) in the bigs. As Skubal was chatting with reporters afterward, he admitted that he might not have had "these same expectations (for myself) two, three years ago; you could probably say our team didn’t, either." Now they both keep raising the bar.
"I want the fans to expect the best out of me because that’s what I expect out of myself," Skubal said. "We’re trying to do the same thing here. They want to win, I want to win just as bad."
Skubal will be headed to his second straight All-Star Game next month. He'll likely have company in second basemen Gleyber Torres and outfielders Riley Greene and possibly Javy Baez, all of whom are finalists in the fan vote that determines the starters. Asked about the Tigers potentially having three or four All-Stars, Skubal said, "Should have more."
"I remember the Royals had seven that one year (2015) they were good. We have the best team in baseball," Skubal said. "I don’t see why we don’t have five or six guys that go and represent us -- maybe seven, I don’t care. I think our record speaks for itself and we’ve beat a lot of good teams, so I think our guys deserve to be there. You look at our OPS, you look at the way we play defense, you look at the way we pitch, we’re a pretty good ball cub, so I think we deserve to have a lot of guys there."
Indeed, the Tigers rank fifth in the majors in team OPS and third in team ERA. They generally play crisp defense under Hinch. Beyond the aforementioned position players, Zach McKinstry (.807 OPS) merits consideration at third base, as does Torkelson (.806 OPS) at first. Vest (2.37 ERA) and Kahnle (1.77 ERA) have All-Star-caliber numbers in the bullpen, but those spots tend to go to relievers on clubs who are otherwise unrepresented.
When Torres was asked last week about the possibility of going to the All-Star Game with Greene and Baez, he said, "And I think a couple relievers, for sure! They’re going to go. But it’s going to be special. We’ve been playing really well."
The pitchers and reserves for the game are chosen via the Player Ballot and the Commissioner's Office. Hinch, naturally, would love to see the Tigers send a few more players to Atlanta "as the managers and coaches and players vote. That's a special way to get into the All-Star Game, when your peers recognize you as one of the elite for that season," he said.
"I want our best players to be there, both as Tigers and around the league, because we need to increase showcasing players. And if we can get as many in our uniform, all the better," said Hinch. "We have a lot of good stories that have contributed to the first half of this season. Whether that’s getting an extra pitcher in or getting an extra position player in, that would be incredible.
"We have a couple of guys who it would be wrong if they’re not starting the game, and others that I hope can be included in the distinction."