Tarik Skubal didn’t just pitch a gem on Sunday, he carved his name into MLB history in his first complete game of his pro career.
The left-hander threw a complete-game shutout on just 94 pitches, striking out 13 Cleveland Guardians in a 5–0 Tigers win at Comerica Park. He joins Keider Montero, who was the last Tigers pitcher to do it in September 2024 against the Rockies. The performance checked off every box for a Maddox, a shutout under 100 pitches and added a historic twist.
Since pitch counts were first tracked in 1988, Tarik Skubal is the first pitcher to throw a Maddux (complete game shutout in fewer than 100 pitches) while striking out at least 13 hitters.
This was an all-time performance. https://t.co/qX0Lg0TPbV
— Brent Maguire (@bmags94) May 25, 2025
He also became the first pitcher in Tigers history to have 4 straight 10 or more strikeouts at home. Detroit avoided a sweep, snapping a two-game skid and salvaging the final game of the three-game series.
Tigers Strike Big in the Fourth
The offense came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning, breaking a scoreless tie with a five-run outburst:
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Zach McKinstry opened the scoring with a two-run homer to right field.
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Javier Báez followed with a double and scored on a Gleyber Torres RBI double.
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Andy Ibáñez added an RBI single to left.
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Riley Greene reached on a throwing error, allowing Ibáñez to score and cap off the inning.
Detroit did all their damage against Cleveland starter Logan Allen, forcing him out before the end of the frame.
“That Was Pretty Special”
Skubal was emotional after the final out.
“I had a little teary-eye out there, honestly, before the end started,” he said postgame. “Twelve-year-old me wouldn’t believe that I’d be in a moment like this with a fanbase like this behind me.”
One of the most telling moments of the game came when Skubal briefly called time against Gabriel Arias, not due to fatigue or strategy, but because of how loud the crowd had become. He couldn’t hear his catcher through PitchCom, the pitch-calling system.
“Yeah, it was loud, so I couldn’t hear. I’m like, ‘Bro, just come out here real quick,’” Skubal said. “I turned it up to the highest level, then I’m like, ‘Wait… can the hitter hear this now?’”
The crowd eventually quieted just enough for him to lock back in, but that moment, and the raw emotion that followed, symbolized just how in sync Skubal was with the fans and the moment.
He wasn’t pitching for headlines, but the numbers told the story: 94 pitches, 13 strikeouts, zero walks, and just two hits allowed.
“Most strikeouts ever in a Maddox game? Cool,” Skubal said. “I’m not out there chasing accolades — I’m out there trying to win. But yeah, that’s cool, I’ll probably give the guys some grief in the clubhouse about it.”
Hinch: “An Incredible Performance When We Needed It Most”
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch didn’t mince words.
“It’s hard to top what he did,” Hinch said. “What an incredible performance — when a team needed it the most.”
With the team reeling after back-to-back losses and a quick turnaround for an 11:35 AM first pitch, due to the game being on the Roku streaming service, Skubal brought the energy early — and didn’t let up.
“This was a brutal turnaround… we needed something to happen in our favor,” Hinch said. “And we had Tarik.”
Elite Execution and Command
At one point, Skubal had thrown over 80% first-pitch strikes. He worked efficiently, staying in the zone despite Cleveland’s aggressive early swings. He credited catcher Dillon Dingler for calling a masterful game.
“The improvement is his understanding of the competition,” Hinch said. “He stayed stubborn in the strike zone even though they were swinging early. That’s growth.”
The Guardians entered the day among the top five teams in batted balls in play and had no answer for Skubal’s mix of power and precision.
“This wasn’t a must-win game in May,” Hinch said. “But it was important — for the team, for the season series, and for our belief.”
Final Line: Tarik Skubal – 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 13 K, 94 Pitches
With the win, the Tigers move to 34-20 as they open up a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants starting tomorrow.
Joe Rampe