So much for pitch counts and modern bullpen philosophy. On Sunday, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal delivered a reminder that a true ace can still finish what he starts. The 28-year-old lefty needed just 94 pitches to record his first MLB complete game, a 5-0 masterpiece over the Cleveland Guardians. Two hits, 13 strikeouts, zero walks—and a Comerica Park crowd chanting his name while he threw a 102.6 mph heater to end it. Yeah, that’ll play.
Tarik Skubal First Complete Game: How It Happened
From the jump, it was clear this might be the day we’d see the Tarik Skubal first complete game:
- Innings 1-5: Perfect baseball—no hits, no walks, just a blur of fastballs and swing-and-miss sliders.
- Sixth inning: Will Wilson doubled on Skubal’s 58th pitch, ending the perfect-game chatter but not the dominance.
- Seventh through ninth: Only one more hit and a hit-by-pitch got in Skubal’s way, and he closed with back-to-back strikeouts, the last at 102.6 mph—the hardest strikeout pitch by a starter since pitch tracking began in 1988.
The final line: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 13 K, 0 BB, 94 pitches (72 strikes). According to Sportsradar, it’s the only shutout since 1988 with 13+ Ks and fewer than 100 pitches. Talk about efficiency.
Tarik Skubal First Complete Game: Emotional Milestone
After eight innings, Skubal strolled back to the mound to a standing ovation. He admitted postgame he was “a little teary-eyed” as fans chanted “Sku-bal! Sku-bal!”
“Little teary-eyed out there, honestly, before the inning started,” Skubal said Sunday via ESPN. “It was pretty cool. I just thought to myself, ’12-year-old me wouldn’t believe that was an opportunity to have the fan base support you the way it does and be in that moment.’
“It was pretty special.”
Manager A.J. Hinch said he never flinched when it came to making a decision about letting Skubal finish the game:
“Sometimes it’s your big boy’s day,” Hinch smiled. “You leave him out there.”
Tarik Skubal First Complete Game: Historical Context
- Fifth Tiger ever with 5+ games of 10 K/0 BB, tying Max Scherzer and Mickey Lolich; only Justin Verlander (6) has more.
- First Tiger to strike out 10+ in four straight home starts.
- Fastest game-ending pitch by a Tiger (102.6 mph) in Statcast era (since 2015).
- Only MLB pitcher this season with a shutout, 13+ Ks, and fewer than 100 pitches.
That’s elite company—and a big reason Skubal already owns a Cy Young and pitching Triple Crown.
What’s Next for Detroit’s Ace?
The Tarik Skubal first complete game won’t change Hinch’s pitch-count philosophy overnight, but it does reinforce the idea that Skubal can carry the staff deep into October. The lefty is now 5-2 with a 2.11 ERA and a league-leading 93 strikeouts. His next scheduled start? A Friday night showdown in Boston, where he went eight dominant innings last year.
