In what was expected to be the most crucial game of another important series for the Tigers, they did what they have been doing for the past two months – they won. They won with their ace on the mound in Tarik Skubal by way of a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays bringing their magic number down to five.
And despite all the success the Tigers have experienced in the second half of the season, winning today’s game was so crucial because the Tigers can actually start looking ahead to matchups this for a Wild Card series next week. With Skubal going seven innings allowing just two hits and seven strikeouts, the Tigers now potentially have the opportunity to skip Skubal’s next start against the White Sox this weekend and save him for Game One in the Wild Card. That idea though would’ve been more difficult to achieve with a wasted Skubal start this afternoon if the Tigers were to squander that two-run lead late in the game.
Thankfully though, Beau Brieske, despite the home was able to shut things down in the ninth and continue to put all the pressure on Kansas City and Minnesota.