Tigers turn to Tarik Skubal in pursuit of series sweep vs. Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles didn't have to face Tarik Skubal the past two seasons.

The Orioles' luck will run out on Sunday afternoon, as Skubal will start the finale off a three-game series for the host Detroit Tigers.

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner dominated in his most recent start against Baltimore on May 15, 2022. He threw six scoreless innings and recorded 11 strikeouts.

Overall, Skubal is 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA in three career outings against the Orioles.

Skubal (2-2, 2.83 ERA) had a subpar outing -- by his standards -- in his last start a week ago. The left-hander gave up two runs and seven hits against Kansas City and was removed after throwing 91 pitches in five innings. The Tigers lost 4-3 in 10 innings.

In his previous two starts, Skubal threw a combined 13 scoreless innings, giving up just eight hits and no walks while notching 15 strikeouts.

"That's a good team over there," Skubal said of the Royals. "They fouled off a ton of pitches, even good pitches and were able to push some stuff the other way. I gave up seven singles, and it seemed like all of them were to the right side. Clearly, that was their approach, and one through nine, they were able to execute it. That's hard to do, and they were able to do it."

If the Orioles try the same opposite-field approach, Skubal already has had a week to think about countering those tactics.

"Those are conversations I've already had," he said. "I think you can see with their swings and stuff. I just need to be better at executing pitches when I know that's what's going on."

If the Orioles don't have a good plan against Skubal, they'll get swept in the weekend series. Detroit won both ends of a split doubleheader on Saturday -- 4-3 in the opener and 6-2 in the nightcap. The doubleheader was scheduled after Friday's opener was postponed because of bad weather.

A combination of strong pitching and Spencer Torkelson's hot bat led to the sweep. Torkelson homered in the first game and supplied a two-run double in the second. Torkelson leads the Tigers with eight homers and 24 RBIs.

Gunnar Henderson led the Orioles in the nightcap with two hits, including an RBI double.

Skubal's counterpart on Sunday, right-hander Dean Kremer, still is trying to get into a groove. Kremer (2-3, 6.84 ERA) has surrendered at least five runs in three of his five starts. He gave up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-0 defeat to Washington on Tuesday.

"Every guy in there is disappointed after a loss. We always take it to heart," Kremer told the Baltimore Sun. "Things just kind of are piling up. The good ones are great, and the bad ones are not good. Things are kind of piling up, and it's something we're trying to work through."

The Tigers are wrapping a season-long 10-game homestand and will embark on a 10-day road trip that begins in Houston on Monday. The Orioles will spend the coming week at their home park, beginning with a matchup against the New York Yankees on Monday.

--Field Level Media