Tarik Skubal savaging White Sox is the fire Tigers need to rebound

Tarik Skubal brought a sold-out crowd to Comerica Park on Friday for his first start at home since April 23. It wasn't his most outstanding performance — 5 2/3 innings, three earned runs — but it was an improvement over his 4 2/3-inning, three run outing against the Guardians after returning from surgery.

And the Tigers offense actually managed to rally behind him. Matt Vierling responded to a Randal Grichuk solo homer with a two-run shot of his own. Kerry Carpenter answered a game-tying groundout for Tristan Peters and solo homer for Junior Perez with a go-ahead two-run double.

There was something in the air in Detroit that day, and it had everything to do with Skubal.

Not only were Tigers fans amped to get our ace back, he was pitching to make a point. He ran into trouble in the fifth, when he gave up back-to-back singles to open the frame and then gave up a run on Peters' groundout. Miguel Vargas singled and Grichuk walked to load the bases. A heads-up play from Colt Keith kept a run from scoring on another groundout, but the bases stayed loaded.

Skubal took care of Colson Montgomery with a swing strikeout — and he had something to say to the White Sox dugout, specifically injured pitcher Mike Vasil, as he walked off the mound.

Tarik Skubal's near-dust up with White Sox pitcher should give the Tigers a new edge

Skubal and Vasil kept going at it, clearly exchanging a number of expletives, until well after Skubal had made it back to the Tigers' dugout. The Tigers' ace kept yelling as Dillon Dingler held him back.

The two sides had different accounts after the game. Vasil said, "I think it was some pretty choice words, and then I shared back some choice words. It was good stuff." Skubal said, "I'm a competitive guy. I kind of wear my emotions out there, and that's part of how I play the game. I think that's just baseball. … It is what it is. It happened. It's over with."

It's unclear what sparked Skubal's agitation in the first place, but it probably had something to do with the magic wand Vasil has been wielding from the dugout, which has become something of a rallying signal for the White Sox and their fans.

If that's all it was, maybe Skubal getting so worked up was a little out of place. But it clearly did something for his team.

Skubal was admirably straightforward about what's at stake for the Tigers over the next month and some change. He knows that if they don't shape up, not only he but almost half the roster could be on the trade block.

If he needs to yell at an injured relief pitcher with a wand, so be it. Anything to get some life into this team before it's too late.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow