Skubal pitches seven strong innings at hometown, but Tigers' lack of offense leads to defeat.

Folks from Kingman, Arizona, flocked to cheer for hometown hero Tarik Skubal. However, Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll also showed up, and his performance was far less friendly.

When Skubal's 97 mph fastball, with no balls and two strikes, shot toward the top of the strike zone, the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner didn't think his pitch was problematic. He didn't expect Carroll, the troublemaker who had been tormenting the Tigers throughout the series, not only to hit the ball but to pull it for a line-drive single to right field.

“It was a good pitch,” Skubal said. “I felt the execution was right. If I had to throw that fastball ten more times in a 0-2 count, I’d throw it ten more times. That’s just how it goes; he’s a great hitter and made a nice swing.”

What he didn't anticipate even more was that this solo homer in the first inning would become the only run of the game. Ultimately, the Tigers lost 0-1, suffering a third consecutive defeat and heading home with a four-game losing streak.

Skubal is about to return to Detroit with the team to prepare for a three-game homestand against the Cardinals, where he will not be starting. His feelings at this moment are mixed. He is a results-oriented pitcher; pitching well but losing offers little consolation.

This was Skubal's 136th career MLB start, his 63rd allowing one run or fewer, and his 27th allowing exactly one run. It was his first start where he allowed only one run but took the loss.

“My goal for every start is to win,” he said. “No matter how. Personal stats are secondary; this is a team sport, and we need to win. If we lose, feeling good about my own performance doesn’t help.”

On the other hand, Skubal delivered a strong performance in front of his hometown crowd. Kingman has about 35,000 residents, a few hours' drive away, where his baseball career began. Now he lives near Phoenix during the offseason, but before spring training he特意 returned to Kingman to speak with kids from his old school and support local youth baseball.

This was his second career start at Chase Field. So many friends and family came that the Tigers' family viewing area couldn't accommodate them; they occupied an entire section in the right-field stands. Before the game, when Skubal warmed up in the right-field bullpen, fans gathered in two thick layers.

“I enjoy feeling that atmosphere, letting people know I care about those who support me,” he said. “Every time I come back to start here, it feels great.”

From that perspective, Skubal did not disappoint. This stadium holds childhood memories for him, when he sat in the upper deck, just a few rows from the roof.

“It’s a bit nostalgic,” he said. “But more importantly, it’s about pitching in front of family. I don’t see them often normally; this is part of the job. Since it’s a rare chance, I want to perform even better.”

Today's Skubal was somewhat different from the strikeout machine Detroit fans know. The Diamondbacks lineup excels at making contact, and Skubal used that to generate 10 ground-ball outs. In the first six innings, he three times escaped situations with a leadoff hitter reaching base via double plays, all initiated by rookie third baseman Kevin McGonigle.

Skubal needed only 87 pitches to complete seven innings, allowing six hits and no walks. Three strikeouts were relatively low for a deep start, as were seven swings and misses; his slider induced 14 swings but only four misses.

“I don’t think this wasn’t the usual Tarik,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “They are a team that hits well, with high-quality at-bats, and they spoil many pitches. As the game progressed, he definitely got sharper.”

That’s why that one fatal mistake was so frustrating. Six of his pitches resulted in exit velocities over 101 mph, and only Carroll’s hit had a launch angle over 15 degrees.

Last season, Skubal allowed only one home run to a left-handed hitter, hit by former Twins hitter Edouard Julien on August 14. Throughout the season, he allowed a homer on a 0-2 count only in his final regular-season start against the Guardians, by Jhonkensy Noel. The first homer of the 2026 season happened to be a combination of both scenarios.

“Sometimes you just have to tip your cap,” Skubal said.