The Detroit Tigers needed Tarik Skubal to be an ace with their season on the line, and he delivered.
Skubal coasted through five innings of work in Friday's Game 5, allowing one run after Josh Naylor doubled, stole third base and was driven in on a sacrifice fly. From that point on, Skubal dominated with a playoff-record streak of seven consecutive strikeouts.
Once he got going, all that could stop Skubal was his pitch count. The Seattle Mariners made him work early on, putting his pitch count in a more difficult spot than Seattle starter George Kirby's.
Here's a look at Skubal's dominant performance against the Mariners in Game 5 of the ALDS.
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Tarik Skubal ALDS stats
Here are Skubal's numbers from his Game 5 start against the Mariners:
- Innings: 6
- Hits: 2
- Earned runs: 1
- Strikeouts: 13
- Walks: 0
- Pitches: 99
Skubal has had plenty of weight on his shoulders during this Tigers postseason run, but he didn't look tired at all on Friday. Skubal struck out 11 batters, including a streak of seven straight, while issuing no walks and only two hits.
Naylor did his best to make Skubal pay for one of the two hits he allowed, stealing third after a double and scoring on a sacrifice fly as a result, but that run was one the Tigers were willing to live with. Skubal didn't let it get to him, continuing to look strong even as his pitch count rose.
THIRTEEN STRIKEOUTS FOR TARIK SKUBAL! #ALDS pic.twitter.com/ArpFHX3DSQ
— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2025
Skubal is already tied for 19th on the all-time list of most strikeouts in one postseason with 36. The only pitcher with more who didn't pitch in the World Series is Mike Mussina in 1997.
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Tarik Skubal season stats
| Starts | IP | ERA | K | BB | WHIP |
| 31 | 195.1 | 2.21 | 241 | 33 | 0.89 |
Skubal's numbers were a touch better across the board than his 2024 Cy Young season, as he posted an AL-leading 2.21 ERA and 2.45 FIP along with an MLB-best 0.89 WHIP among qualified starters.
Skubal is fully expected to win his second Cy Young Award in November, though he set his sights on a much more important trophy this October.
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Tarik Skubal salary
Skubal is playing on a $10.15 million salary in 2025 after avoiding arbitration with a deal in the offseason. He’ll again be eligible for salary arbitration ahead of the 2026 season, which is set to be the final year of his contract.
Earning just over $10 million is a massive bargain for the Tigers, but Skubal’s payday is coming. His salary is expected to rise significantly in his final year of arbitration eligibility, and he’ll be in line for a potentially huge contract after the 2026 season if he doesn’t reach an extension with Detroit before then.
Where is Tarik Skubal from?
Skubal was born in California and grew up partly in Kingman, Arizona, but he also has ties to Seattle through his college career.
He pitched for Seattle University before being drafted by the Tigers, emerging as a force for the Redhawks early in his career but struggling in his final season with a 4.16 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over 80 innings. The Tigers took a chance on him in the ninth round of the 2018 draft, and Skubal ultimately made Detroit his home after first putting himself on the map in the Pacific Northwest.
MORE: Full details on Tarik Skubal's roots