Tarik Skubal's NSFW celebration sums up electric Tigers victory vs Rays

After a nearly hour-long rain delay, the Tigers and Rays finally took the field at Comerica Park for the opener of both teams' penultimate series of the year. It was a Skubal day for the Tigers — his 31st start of the season — which immediately had fans reassured that Detroit would be able to put up another W in their pursuit of a Wild Card clinch.

Other than a rare walk given up to Jonny DeLuca, the top of the first went off without a hitch. Skubal proceeded to get through six more innings and threw a season-high 103 pitches, 71 of which were strikes. The one walk to DeLuca was the only free base he allowed, and only José Caballero and Ben Rortvedt were able to get singles off of him. Otherwise, he struck out seven batters.

In the top of the seventh, DeLuca lined out, Junior Caminero flew out, and then Christopher Morel worked the count full against Skubal in what would become the final out of the inning. He threw a 97 MPH fastball to the inside corner, and Morel swung and tipped it into the glove of Jake Rogers.

Skubal screamed coming out of his rotation and pumped his fists, before following it up with a massive "F— YEAH!" He was speaking for Tigers fans everywhere with that one.

Tarik Skubal leads Tigers to victory over Rays as Detroit pulls away in Wild Card race

Ryan Pepiot, the starter on the mound for Tampa Bay, was also doing good work to keep the Tigers' offense at bay. Detroit's hitters couldn't get much going through four innings outside of two walks for Wenceel Pérez and a single for Riley Greene. But Pepiot's third time through the Tigers' lineup — dangerous territory for a pitcher — turned the tides. Trey Sweeney walked, Jake Rogers singled, and then Parker Meadows walked to load the bases for Detroit with one out.

Kerry Carpenter made it two outs with a fly ball into the glove of DeLuca, and then Pérez, easily the player of the day after Skubal, hit a line drive to right field on the ninth pitch he saw after another long battle against Pepiot (he'd worked his first walk on 11 pitches). It hit the deep outfield grass hard and skipped into the left field seats and out of play for a ground-rule double to score two.

The Tigers couldn't get much going offensively through the rest of the game, and Beau Brieske allowed a very rare homer to Brandon Lowe to cut the Tigers' lead in half in the top of the ninth. But he held on for the last out of the day with a strikeout in four pitches against Josh Lowe.

With today's win and the Royals and Twins yet to play, the Tigers' Magic Number is down to five. They're inching ever-closer to what's looking like the inevitable — October baseball.