Tigers' fate rests on Skubal in Game 5.

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Transcript

00:00Welcome to the story of Tarek Skubal's crucial moment with the Tigers.

00:06After spending 15 days on the road, the Tigers arrived in Detroit on Monday afternoon.

00:11Tarek Skubal's first action was to head to Comerica Park to prepare for their upcoming game.

00:15He found himself with only one clean pair of underwear left, but before he could do laundry

00:21or even take a short nap, he needed to focus on getting ready for his next start.

00:26That's where I was mentally, Skubal shared. I flew back. Got back to work.

00:31Ideally, this preparation could have been for Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

00:37However, for the second year in a row, the Tigers are placing their postseason hopes in Skubal's hands

00:43for a decisive Game 5 in the AL Division Series. His previous experience in such a situation is

00:50etched in the history of Cleveland sports, particularly due to a grand slam hit by

00:54the Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas off him, which shifted the game from a pitching contest

00:59to a victory for Cleveland, sending them to the ALCS. Despite this, Skubal has not used that moment

01:06as motivation for his performance this season. He has consistently aimed to maintain his forward-looking

01:11perspective. However, he is also aware of the narrative surrounding him.

01:16I'll let you all shape the story, Skubal remarked with a hint of a smile.

01:19My focus is on what I do best, which is playing baseball and developing pitches.

01:25The essence of the game remains unchanged. You can write the narratives and fulfill your roles,

01:30but I won't be providing you with any insights.

01:33In all fairness, the storyline is almost self-evident. Can Skubal lead the Tigers

01:37beyond the Division Series and secure their first ALCS appearance since 2013?

01:41Yet perhaps the more pressing question is, can Skubal finally overcome the Mariners?

01:45This is not merely because Seattle is the only team that has dealt Skubal multiple losses during

01:51the regular season. It's also significant that the Mariners have triumphed in all three

01:55encounters with Skubal this year, including Game 2 of this series, on Sunday, at T-Mobile Park.

02:02In the official record, Skubal received a no decision due to Spencer Torkelson's game-tying

02:07two-run double in the eighth inning, before the Mariners mounted a comeback against Kyle Finnegan.

02:11However, Jorge Polanco's solo home, runoff Skubal created a challenging situation for the team,

02:18although Torkelson managed to briefly improve their position. Achieving victory against Skubal

02:23twice within the same series, and four times throughout the season, would be a significant

02:27accomplishment. Nevertheless, this was the hope the Mariners held onto after the Tigers secured

02:32a win in Game 4 on Wednesday. Mariners manager Dan Wilson expressed confidence stating,

02:37We've been able to get to Skubal throughout, and we have another chance to do that on Friday.

02:42Conversely, Skubal has the opportunity to make necessary adjustments and address his previous

02:47shortcomings. He has demonstrated the ability to do so in recent outings. Before facing the Mariners

02:52in Game 2, Skubal had pitched against the Guardians in three consecutive games. In a September 18th

02:58match at Comerica Park, he recorded a no decision after throwing six innings and allowing just one

03:03run in a 3-1 defeat. However, he struggled in a subsequent game on September 23rd at Progressive

03:09Field, where a three-run inning, compounded by two errors on his part, led to a 5-2 loss.

03:16A week later, Skubal took the mound to start the wildcard series and performed exceptionally well,

03:22striking out 14 batters. Over the course of seven and two to three innings, the Guardians faced a

03:27pitcher who varied his approach with each appearance. In some games he relied more on curveballs, while in

03:33others, he favored sliders. During the postseason, he consistently threw fastballs that reached triple

03:39digit speeds. It would not be surprising to see him employ a similar strategy in his upcoming matchup

03:44against the Mariners' lineup. Catcher Dylan Dingler, who plays a significant role in developing the game

03:50plan and calling pitches, stated,

03:52You learn from experiences. He emphasized that the team would analyze Polanco more thoroughly this

03:58time around, while also allowing him to pitch in his own style. We don't stray too far from what he

04:03excels at. We'll make slight adjustments, such as increasing the use of off-speed pitches, fastballs,

04:10sliders, or change-ups, just minor tweaks to help us reach our goal. Following Game 2, Skubal indicated

04:16that the Tigers believed Polanco had discovered an effective strategy. His first home run was hit on a

04:222-0 slider that was right down the middle, and his second came from a full-count sinker. In both

04:27instances, the switch hitter was able to capitalize on the pitches thrown to him. Skubal utilized his

04:32change-up, a highly effective pitch that enables him to excel against right-handed batters, to set up a

04:38different pitch over the plate. After the game, Skubal remarked,

04:42He seemed to track the ball well against me. He managed to hit some change-ups that were just below the

04:46strike zone. Typically when I place it there and execute properly, I see positive outcomes.

04:51However, Skubal has struggled to achieve favorable results against the Mariners throughout the

04:56season. This moment presents an opportunity for him to turn his luck around. So, do you think Skubal

05:01can rewrite his narrative and lead his team to victory this time?

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