Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal experienced a disastrous outing in what may have been his final start for the team, as the Tigers blew a 7-0 lead to lose 10-9 in 12 innings to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday at Comerica Park.
This marked the largest comeback for Baltimore since erasing a nine-run deficit in 2009 and the first time the Orioles won after trailing by seven runs since 1995.
Despite the team's collapse, Skubal reached a significant personal milestone during the game, recording his 1,000th career strikeout. He became the fastest left-handed pitcher to achieve this since Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. Skubal finished his appearance with six strikeouts, allowing just five hits and holding a 7-1 lead before exiting the game. His season ERA stands at 2.79.
"Obviously, this was a tough one," Skubal said after the game. "We were up 7-0 and end up losing. ... I don’t even know what the final score was, but this one hurts."
Detroit fans gave Skubal a standing ovation for his milestone, and he acknowledged the moment was "special." However, the loss, which dropped the Tigers to 51-58 on the season and four games out of the final wild-card spot, increases the likelihood of a trade before the Aug. 3 deadline.
Skubal, who is 4-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 53 1⁄3 innings since returning from elbow surgery, has drawn interest from teams like the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers. The upcoming trade deadline represents Detroit's last opportunity to acquire assets for the pitcher, as his one-year, $32 million contract expires after the World Series, making him a free agent.
Tigers manager AJ Hinch declined to speculate on Skubal's future with the team. "I just can't think in hypotheticals — I just can't," Hinch stated. "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."
Earlier this month, Skubal expressed a desire to remain with the Tigers to pursue a playoff run. Having been drafted by Detroit and spending seven seasons with the organization, the prospect of him leaving appears increasingly probable with each passing game.