AJ Hinch, Tarik Skubal offer candid comments to propel Tigers after elimination

Emma Lingan

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts after Cleveland Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas bats a grand slam during the fifth inning at Game 5 of ALDS at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With one swing from Cleveland Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas against one of baseball's most dominant pitchers in Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers saw their magical 2024 season come to an end right before their eyes.

After an incredible run through August and September carried them to a surprise American League Wild Card berth, the young Tigers swept the Houston Astros in two games before advancing to the AL Division Series against the Guardians. The "Gritty Tigs" didn't go quietly, battling the AL Central winners through five tight games before falling short in the deciding contest.

Cleveland's bats finally got to Skubal (and the Detroit bullpen) in Saturday's series finale, as the All-Star southpaw surrendered the first grand slam of his career to Thomas in the fifth inning to give the Guardians a 5-1 lead. The Tigers tried to mount a late comeback with RBI base hits from Jake Rogers and Colt Keith, but their efforts fell short and they ultimately lost 7-3.

"It'll suck, and it should suck, but this is only gonna make me strive to become a better version of myself," Skubal said (via Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic). "In the days in the offseason that get a little grueling ... I'll just make sure to remind myself of this feeling I have right now."

Skubal gave up five of the Guardians' seven runs, the most he allowed in a start in 2024. He pitched six innings, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch has difficult but motivational comments after Detroit's elimination

Of course, Skubal hardly deserves all the blame for Detroit's elimination from the postseason. The Tigers' bats also didn't deliver against Cleveland's pitching staff, finishing the game 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. To their credit, they did manage to muster up two more runs to cut their deficit to two; but it wasn't enough in the end.

"I have a heartbroken team for all the right reasons," Tigers manager AJ Hinch said (via Evan Woodberry of MLive). "We left everything on the field against a really good team. I thanked them for everything...I'm really proud to be their manager."

The Tigers' magical 2024 run may have come to an end, but in many ways, this special season was just the beginning for this promising young team.

"Our players, our coaches, our organization never flinched," Hinch said (via Woodberry). "We never thought that we shouldn't be here. That is going to fuel us moving forward. Once you play in one October, you never want to miss one for the rest of your career. Ever."

And that's the tone that needs to be set for 2025 and beyond. Well done, Tigers. Everything's moving in the right direction despite Saturday's crushing loss.

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Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University, and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic). A native of Washington, D.C. and current resident of Nashville, Tenn., she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News. When she's not watching hockey, baseball or football, she enjoys podcasting, reading, going to the gym, consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog, Minkah. You can follow her @Emma_lingan on Twitter and Instagram.