"Tiger King" Skubal's return debut after injury withstands full-house boos and teammate errors but still takes the loss

Boos came from every corner of Cleveland's Progressive Field.

"Skubal! Skubal!"

Some Guardians fans shouted with short, forceful calls, while others intentionally elongated the chant. Each time the Guardians threatened to score against Tarik Skubal, the boos were sure to come, never missing.

If Skubal couldn't make his return in front of Tigers fans at Comerica Park, then this ballpark was the perfect stage for him to come off the injured list. His history with the Guardians is long and varied, from a complete-game shutout in Detroit last season to his playoff masterpieces here in the past two Octobers.

Today was not his masterpiece, and the Tigers defense behind him was also not. Skubal pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned). But considering this return came only 38 days after he underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, in a 3-1 loss, simply having him back was a blessing in disguise.

"Overall it was okay today," he said. "I don't want to paint myself as some kind of 'hard-working return' story. I need to pitch better, that's obvious. If I'm just happy to be back on the mound, that's a loser's mentality in my eyes. I have to go out there, pitch, compete, and give the team a chance to win. I didn't do that today."

This is also the challenge ahead. Skubal is back, and even if today wasn't his best, his stuff is enough to make people believe that once he shakes off the rust, he'll return to his peak. But the question is, by the time he regains his form, where will the Tigers be?

After losing all six matchups against the Guardians this season, with the August 3 trade deadline approaching, the Tigers are once again struggling for a playoff spot. Five of those six losses were by two runs or fewer, and today was a perfect example.

The Guardians got the key swing they needed to beat Skubal. A poorly located fastball was caught by Daniel Schneemann, who had replaced Chase DeLauter (who left the game with a right rib contusion) in the third inning, costing Skubal dearly. The Tigers went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

"I feel like we've played this kind of game many times, on both sides," manager A.J. Hinch said.

Even at his best, Skubal cannot carry the entire team on his own, and his teammates know this well. The boost the Tigers hope to get from his return is as much mental as it is physical.

"He's our ace," Spencer Torkelson said before the game. "We love playing defense behind everyone, but on the days he's on the mound, the vibe in the clubhouse is different."

Skubal's fastest pitches of the day were a microcosm of the game. The first hit he allowed was a 99.9 mph fastball that DeLauter drove the opposite way for a line-drive single to left field. He threw back-to-back 99.6 mph pitches to Steven Kwan, who then lined out to center field, leaving runners on second and third.

"In terms of stuff, he started off really hot," Hinch said. "That was elite fastball velocity. But his command wasn't as sharp as usual. I think that's a result of being away from game action, rehabbing quickly and then returning directly. His execution wasn't at the level we're used to seeing. Still, it's great to see him back on the mound."

In the second inning, Dillon Dingler's throw to catch a stolen base went directly into left field, allowing Travis Bazzana to score the game's first run. Skubal could do nothing about that, but before that, it was his hit-by-pitch that put Bazzana on second base.

Similarly, in the third inning, José Ramírez turned a 2-2 changeup into a right-field double, and Skubal couldn't do much about that either. That pitch was already out of the strike zone, less than a foot off the ground. The next batter, Schneemann, hit a two-run homer that was the real pitch he regretted.

"That pitch was terrible, absolutely terrible," Skubal said. "I wanted to throw it up and in, but I hung it. It wasn't inside enough and wasn't high enough. If you're going to miss, you should miss more inside or higher. I wanted to go up and in, so a miss should be toward the glove side or above the zone, middle-up. Instead, it ended up low and inside. He had a good swing, but my execution was really poor."

After Skubal retired Ramírez and Schneemann to start the fifth inning, Hinch approached at 80 pitches, took the ball, and called on Kyle Finnegan to get the final out of the inning. Skubal hung his head and walked to the dugout, tossed his glove in his seat, and sat down. Pitching coach Chris Fetter then sat beside him, and they had a brief conversation.

"Give credit where it's due," Skubal said, "but at the same time, I need to pitch better to give the team a chance to win, and I didn't do that today."