Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal leaves mark in 1st All-Star Start with ABS milestone, strikeouts, runs

ATLANTA – Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has been named the American League starter for the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Skubal, who pitched a scoreless inning in last year’s All-Star Game, gave up two runs while striking out two and recording the first ever ABS challenge in All-Star Game history in his one and only outing.

During Major League Baseball’s 95th All-Star Game on Tuesday (July 15), Skubal, in Atlanta inside Truist Park, faced a stacked National League lineup.

Skubal, who was mic’d up, got ahead of Shohei Ohtani 0-2 but threw a changeup in the dirt. He went back to it on the fourth pitch that led to a bloop single over the second baseman’s head.

With a man on, Skubal jumped out to another 0-2 count on hometown hero Ronald Acuña Jr.

After throwing a ball to bring the count to 1-2, Acuña Jr. hit an infield broken bat single.

With two men on, Ketel Marte hit a two-run double down the first-base line as the NL took an early 2-0 lead.

Former Atlanta Braves World Series Champion Freddie Freeman stepped up to the plate and hit a routine one-hopper to short to get the first out of the inning.

Manny Machado came to the dish with one out. And on a 1-2 pitch, Skubal challenged a ball call, which was overturned for his first strikeout of the game.

Skubal made history as the first player in an All-Star Game and or in the majors to use the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system, which allows players to challenge an umpire’s ball or strike call using the Hawk-Eye tracking system.

Catcher Will Smith stepped up to the plate and grounded out to end Skubal’s night.

Although it wasn’t his best outing, Skubal became the first Tigers pitcher to start the Midsummer Classic since Max Scherzer in 2013.

Skubal’s ASG selection added to his growing list of accolades after a dominant 2024 season in which he won the American League Cy Young Award unanimously.

He faced off against Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who struck out Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene, who batted No. 1 and No. 2 in the lineup, on triple-digit fastballs.

Aaron Judge grounded out for the third out of the inning, setting up Skubal to follow suit.

The Pirates and Tigers faced each other inside Comerica Park in June, but Skubal and Skenes didn’t start against one another until now.

In 2024, Skubal led the AL in ERA (2.39), strikeouts (228), and wins (18), capturing the pitching Triple Crown.

This season, Skubal has been even better, boasting a 2.23 ERA, 4.7 WAR, and an impressive 153-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 19 starts.

He got rocked during his previous start vs. the Seattle Mariners. Still, Skubal has delivered several electrifying performances, including a 13-strikeout, complete game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches against the Cleveland Guardians on May 25.

He also threw a 13-strikeout, one-hit gem on June 29 during Sunday Night Baseball against the Minnesota Twins.

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