The Detroit Tigers’ September struggles continued Tuesday night, dropping their seventh straight game and ninth in their last 10. But amid another defeat to the Cleveland Guardians, Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal showed a measure of perspective.
During a chaotic sixth inning in which Cleveland scored three runs without a ball leaving the infield, Guardians designated hitter David Fry was struck in the face by a 99-mph fastball from Skubal. Fry left the game immediately with assistance from the Guardians’ medical staff.
Afterward, Skubal expressed concern and said he had already reached out to Fry.
“I’ve already reached out to him. I’m sure his phone’s blowing up. I just want to make sure he’s all right,” Skubal told reporters, including MLive’s Evan Woodbery. “He seemed okay coming off the field, and hopefully it stays that way.
“I look forward to, hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning, getting a text from him and making sure he’s all good. There are things that are bigger than the game, and his health is more important than a baseball game.”
The show of sportsmanship comes during a brutal stretch for Detroit, which has just five games left to salvage its hopes of reclaiming the American League Central crown.
With Cleveland holding the tiebreaker between the two clubs, the Tigers will need to win both of the remaining games in the series to retake the division lead heading into their final three games against the Boston Red Sox. A split in Cleveland would leave the two teams tied by record but with the Guardians ahead by tiebreaker.