Tigers fans salute Tarik Skubal after 1,000th career strikeoutESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsJul 29, 2026, 01:44 PM ET
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DETROIT — Trade deadline target Tarik Skubal and Detroit fans gave each other a warm farewell Wednesday, just in case this was the two-time Cy Young Award winner’s final appearance in a Tigers jersey.
Skubal was cheered at every opportunity by a crowd of 34,406 while taking a 7-0 shutout into the seventh inning against Baltimore, but then the Orioles rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat Detroit 10-9 in 12 innings. The loss leaves the Tigers 51-58 and well outside playoff position in the final year they have Skubal under contract.
The vibes were great early. Skubal got his first standing ovation came when he struck out leadoff hitter Taylor Ward on a 3-2 changeup to record his 1,000th career strikeout.
He responded by stepping off the mound and tipping his cap to the fans.
Standing ovation from the home crowd for Tar1K 👏@TarikSkubal pic.twitter.com/Cn0i8t5tEW
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 29, 2026
“For some reason, strikeout marks hit differently for me,” Skubal mentioned. “Reaching 200 strikeouts for the first time was a huge milestone for me, and as I was getting close to 1,000, it just felt really cool.”
Skubal reached the mark in 857 innings over 153 games, breaking Max Scherzer’s franchise-best mark of 944⅔ innings. The only left-hander to have reached the milestone in fewer games was Hall of Famer Randy Johnson (152 games), according to ESPN Research.
Skubal, who is 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts this season, got another ovation when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch removed him after Leody Taveres’ RBI single with two out in the seventh.
“I’m just trying to live in the moment,” Skubal mentioned after the game. “There are a lot of things going on around me that I can’t control. When the fans get on their feet like that, it’s special. Something I’ve always appreciated. Hopefully, they feel like I’ve given everything to the team and the city, because I truly have. I’ll never forget this for sure.”
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The Tigers led 7-1 when Skubal came out and appeared to be well on their way to a win over a team they could be battling for a wild-card spot in September. Instead, the Orioles turned one seventh-inning run into five, tied the game with two in the eighth, then got three more in extra innings.
“Obviously, this was a tough one,” Skubal mentioned. “We were up 7-0 and end up losing. … I don’t even know what the final score was, but this one hurts.”
With Detroit (51-58) four games out of the last American League wild card spot, the Tigers seem increasingly likely to deal their ace ahead of next Monday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline. The 29-year-old lefty is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He has a $32 million salary, a record total in arbitration, after the team offered $19 million, and is expected to sign a massive contract in the offseason.
“I just can’t think in hypotheticals — I just can’t,” Hinch mentioned when asked about the possibility of Skubal leaving. “I’ll have a ton to say when and if and where and whenever, but it’s just a waste of my time talking hypotheticals.”
Skubal mentioned earlier this month that it was his preference is to finish the season with the Tigers to compete for a World Series championship, which has eluded the franchise since 1984.
“Going into spring training and the whole offseason, I’ve never been more motivated to try and win a World Series for this city, the team that drafted me and helped develop me,” he mentioned on July 23.
He is 4-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 53⅓ innings since returning just six weeks after having experimental elbow surgery to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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