The Tigers might not project to outslug any of their opponents this October, but they’ve found ways to score consistently throughout their stunning surge to the postseason, and that continued early in Game 1. RBI singles from Jake Rogers, Trey Sweeney and Matt Vierling staked Detroit an early 3-0 lead — one that feels much bigger with Tarik Skubal on the mound.
The Astros finally made Skubal sweat in the top of the fourth, forcing him to throw 29 pitches to five batters, yet Houston couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, as Skubal struck out Jeremy Peña and Victor Caratini with runners on first and second base.
With Skubal at 62 pitches through four innings, it’ll be interesting to see how long Detroit is willing to ride its ace with a planned bullpen day looming tomorrow in Game 2. Skubal has eclipsed 100 pitches only four times this season, with a season high of 103 pitches coming in his final regular-season start on Sept. 24. Don’t be surprised if the big lefty arrives at a similar pitch count by the end of this outing.