Atlanta – Tarik Skubal is doing what he does best: keeping hitters guessing and making life tough for opposing lineups. As he prepares to face the Braves on Wednesday night, Skubal’s stats are speaking volumes.
With a WHIP under 1 and an ERA just shy of 3, he’s been a force on the mound. Opponents are managing just a .589 OPS against him, with minimal slugging at .328.
He’s been flirting with no-hitters in his recent outings, making it clear that when Skubal is on the mound, anything is possible.
Let’s break down his recent performances:
- He retired the first eleven batters against the Brewers.
- He held the Red Sox hitless through four innings.
- He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Marlins.
- He kept the Twins scoreless for four innings.
However, not all these starts ended the way Skubal would have liked. The Brewers managed to turn a 3-1 deficit into a lead in the seventh inning, and that’s been a bit of a pattern.
But let’s not sound the alarms just yet. It’s more of a curiosity than a concern.
The numbers tell us that opponents are hitting .433 with a 1.104 OPS against him the third time through the order, and pitches 76-100 see an OPS against him of 1.095.
Skubal himself isn’t overly worried. “I hate to write things off as unlucky when there’s something to learn from it,” he shared.
He pointed out that in that seventh inning against the Brewers, a series of soft hits and a hard-hit double led to the rally. “If I replay that seventh inning and execute the way I did, I probably get three outs more often than not and I’m going back out for the eighth,” he said.
Despite the hiccups, Skubal’s hard-hit rate is a respectable 39.2%, and the average exit velocity against him is 88.8 mph. His FIP (fielding independent pitching) stands at an impressive 1.97.
“My numbers are pretty much in line with what I’ve been doing,” Skubal noted. He’s looked into his pitch selection but isn’t making excuses.
“Suppressing contact the way I have has been really positive.”
After the Brewers game, Skubal felt it was his best performance of the season, regardless of the final stats. “Am I going to chase a stat line or am I going to chase process,” he pondered.
For Skubal, it’s all about the process, and he’s been good at it. “I would love to sit here and say I’m perfect.
But that’s impossible. But I can chase things like mentally trying to execute pitch after pitch.”
As he gears up for his next outing, Skubal might just be due for a bit of luck to complement his skill.
Tigers at Braves
- First pitch: 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Truist Park, Atlanta
- TV/radio: Detroit Sports Net, 97.1.
For the Braves, JR Ritchie is on the mound. The 22-year-old has already made waves in his Major League debut, holding the Nationals to two runs with seven strikeouts over seven innings.
Armed with a slow curveball and a 94-mph four-seam fastball, Ritchie has a diverse arsenal including a changeup, slider, cutter, and sinker. Before his call-up, he allowed just three earned runs over 27.1 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett.
It’s shaping up to be a fascinating pitching duel in Atlanta.