A visible burst of frustration unfolded inside the Tigers’ dugout during their second game with the Brewers. A pivotal moment late in the game almost changed the outcome for Detroit, and the pitcher at the center of it reflected solid passion and emotion. 

“Tarik Skubal was not pleased with himself after letting the Brewers tie the game in the seventh,” Talkin’ Baseball captioned the short clip showing a moment of frustration from the Tigers’ pitcher.

The Brewers were trailing 1-3 after the sixth inning. Tarik Skubal allowed back-to-back singles in the top of the 7th as Luis Matos reached first base and catcher Gary Sánchez reached second. Skubal threw a 97 mph fastball at Blake Perkins, which resulted in a double as both Matos and Sánchez reached home.

Manager A.J. Hinch pulled Skubal as the Brewers tied the game with zero outs in the seventh.

Tyler Holton came to the mound and later allowed Perkins to reach home plate. Tigers fell behind 3-4 by the end of the seventh. And the 4th run was charged to Skubal as he left a runner on base.

Although he allowed just seven hits and recorded five strikeouts in six innings, Skubal was visibly frustrated at how he failed to maintain the lead. 

He first threw his glove away, which bounced to the wall behind the dugout and fell to the ground. He then threw away his cap. Before he would take his seat, he let his frustration out on the cooler box and smacked it to the ground. But it seemed like none of these were enough to calm him down. 

He picked up his glove and threw it away again.

Recording 72 strikes from 94 pitches came down to nothing for the ace as he allowed his team to fall behind. Although it wasn’t that bad on paper, the LHP definitely saw it as a poor outing. 

As the announcer stated, seeing Skubal in the dugout, “He’s one of the most competitive people on the planet.”

Skubal’s intense emotion only reminded us of Max Scherzer’s infamous stare down at the then-Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi. Pitching for the Washington Nationals in 2021, Mad Max was checked for sticky substance 3 times. While walking toward the dugout, Scherzer locked eyes with the Philly skipper, leading him to yell a few words, and ultimately getting ejected from the game.

Fortunately, on Thursday, the Tigers tied the game through Jahmai Jones in the 8th. Then Spencer Torkelson delivered a walk-off homer in the last inning to win the game (5-4) and the series for Detroit.

But Skubal’s outburst reflects a deeper side of the player.

Tarik Skubal’s reaction shows the elite standard he has set for himself

Skubal didn’t get angry because his coach pulled him from the game. He didn’t feel upset with his teammates, either. Instead, he worried that losing the lead might cost the Tigers the game and the series.

That worry quickly turned into pure frustration.

Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award for the last two seasons. He even won the Triple Crown in 2024.

Although it is still early in the season, many analysts expect him to record a three-peat of Cy Young. And if that happens, he would be the third player in MLB history, after Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson, to achieve the feat. 

The 29-year-old is one of the most reliable starters in the league and has a 2.72 ERA in his seventh season with the club. The Tigers are 4-2 in Skubal’s six starts.

Evidently, his reaction in the dugout stemmed from the level of consistency and dominance he has established over the years. 

The frustration wasn’t a hint of instability. Rather, it was driven by the very expectations he has of himself.