Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 2 Recap: Tigers Hitters Let Skubal Down

Chad Marriott
Oct 5
5 min read

Tarik Skubal took the mound for the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the ALDS, hoping to recreate his success from Game 1 of the Wild Card. He had to face off against Luis Castillo, who had pitched two wins for the Mariners against the Tigers this season, even outdueling Skubal once (5 ERs across 12 innings in two games against the Tigers). Skubal had allowed seven ERs across 10 innings of work against the Mariners this year.

Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers — "Tarik Skubal (53947874625) (cropped)" by Jeffrey Hyde is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Castillo pitched an excellent game, allowing only one hit, before the Mariners' bullpen took over, giving up two runs, matching Skubal's total. The Tigers' bullpen gave up the go-ahead run before Andrés Muñoz closed it out for the Mariners. In another gutsy battle, the Mariners tied the series up with a 3-2 win.

Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 2: Recap

Game 2 shaped up into another pitching duel. In the Wild Card, Skubal outdueled Gavin Williams, but the Mariners shut the Tigers down for most of the game. Skubal got through his first two innings with 25 pitches to Castillo's 51. However, Castillo got through four without allowing a hit. Skubal made the first mistake. Jorge Polanco hit a home run on a hanging slider.

Castillo got nine straight outs before walking Javier Baez. Castillo then allowed his first hit to Gleyber Torres with two outs in the fifth inning. The Mariners went to Gabe Speier to get Kerry Carpenter out, holding the 1-0 lead. Skubal got through the fifth, increasing his strikeout total to seven with some help from a nice Carpenter catch. Speier cruised through the sixth. Skubal gave up a second solo homer to Polanco in the sixth inning, giving Polanco more home runs in this game than the Tigers' hits.

Eduardo Bazardo came in to pitch the seventh inning. Javier Baez singled, but the Tigers didn't get anything else going. Skubal finished his night in the seventh. Matt Brash came in to pitch the eighth for the Mariners and walked the leadoff man. Riley Greene reached with one out. Spencer Torkelson doubled two runs in, tying the game on the Tigers' third hit of the game.

Kyle Finnegan pitched the eighth, allowing back-to-back doubles from Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez, as the Mariners retook the lead. The Tigers turned to Brant Hurter with two outs in the eighth, ending the inning. Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth for the Mariners and closed it out, tying the series 1-1 as they head to Detroit.

Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 2: Only Two Tarik Skubal Mistakes

Tarik Skubal pitched a good game. He allowed two runs and five hits, while striking out nine through seven innings of work. Skubal only made two mistakes the whole game: hanging pitches to Jorge Polanco, who didn't miss them. Skubal pitched an excellent game, but the Tigers couldn't muster much offense.

Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 2: Bullpen Letdown

Kyle Finnegan had been practically untouchable for the Detroit Tigers since joining them on August 1. In the playoffs, he hadn't given up a run until Game 2 of the ALDS. He got rocked for three hits and a run, as the Mariners retook the lead. It was a tough ask for any reliever to face Raleigh and Rodriguez, but that's why the Tigers brought him to Detroit at the deadline: to get high-leverage outs.

Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 2: The Tigers Lineup Fails to Launch

The Tigers have gotten through the postseason by doing just enough in two of their three wins. The exception was Game 3 of the Wild Card that saw a big seventh inning (four runs). In Game 1 of the ALDS, the Tigers managed to push a third run across on a Zach McKinstry hit in the eleventh inning. The Tigers might long for the days when they went 0-15 with RISP. They only had six chances in this game.

In Game 2 of the ALDS, the Tigers couldn't hit at all. While they did a better job at putting the ball in play, they still struck out 10 times (26 times in the series), hit 1-6 with RISP, and left seven on base. The Tigers finally found some runs in the eighth. Torkelson took the ball the other way, knocking in two runs on the Tigers' third hit of the game. Of course, the game was only tied for a short period of time.

Detroit Tigers ALDS Game 2 Verdict

The Detroit Tigers have lived on the edge throughout the postseason, and their luck ran out in this game. Skubal played well enough to win for a team that could produce more than three hits. The Tigers have scored five runs through 20 innings in this series. That lack of production is putting a lot of pressure on the pitching staff. It's playoff baseball, and it's the bullpen's job to shut down the opposing team in the late innings; however, the Tigers have asked the entire staff to be perfect. The way the Tigers play demands perfection. They have to constantly thread the needle, like a McKinstry sacrifice bunt or single to get the go-ahead run. The Mariners only scored three runs on eight hits.

As the series moves to Detroit, the Tigers have Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize on the mound for games three and four. They each had short but successful outings in the Wild Card series. Flaherty went 4.2 innings, allowing one earned run, and Mize went three innings, allowing one earned run. Based on the performance of the Tigers' bullpen, they'll likely need more from both to win at least one of these two games.

The Tigers return to Detroit looking for answers to the same questions they've been asking since July. Who can get some hits? A.J. Hinch will need to work some more magic, finding a way to construct a lineup that could produce enough to win. Finnegan will receive some criticism for his performance, but the Tigers' three hits deserve the most. They'll need to hit the ball more or be ready for the ride to come to an end. The Gritty Tigs, however, are always best when they are doubted. Perhaps that means something special awaits them in Detroit.

(All stats provided by Baseball Reference)

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