Tarik Skubal Hasn't Won in Two Starts, But Sandy Alcantara Is Pitching Like a Cy Young Winner Right Now

The Detroit Tigers are chasing their first series sweep of the season Sunday at home against Miami, and it's going to come down to two former Cy Young Award winners taking the mound at Comerica Park. Here's the thing: one of them looks absolutely unstoppable right now, and it's not the guy Detroit is counting on.

Detroit Finally Found Its Footing

The Tigers came into Sunday's game desperate. After losing the final game of series at San Diego and St. Louis, Detroit was 4-9 and searching for answers. But Saturday night, they got them. Riley Greene launched a three-run homer and added an RBI single in a 6-1 victory that kept the sweep hopes alive. It was the Tigers' second straight win after dropping five in a row, and they've now improved to 4-1 at home.

Manager A.J. Hinch notched his 400th career victory, joining Terry Francona as the only two active managers to reach that mark with two different teams. Hinch had won 481 games in Houston, but he was crystal clear about what really mattered. "We celebrated a series win and just getting back on track for our guys," he said.

Greene didn't buy into Detroit's early funk. The two-time All-Star has reached base safely in all 15 games to start the season, the longest streak since Brandon Inge started the 2009 season on a 24-game on-base run. That's elite at-bats.

The Matchup You Actually Need to Watch

Here's where it gets interesting. Tarik Skubal, Detroit's ace and a two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner, is making his first home start after three road outings. Problem: he's lost two straight. His record sits at 1-2, but his underlying stuff is still scary, a 2.55 ERA with 16 strikeouts against just two walks.

On the other side? Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 National League Cy Young winner, is putting together one of the most dominant early stretches imaginable. He's 2-0 with a ridiculous 0.74 ERA and 0.58 WHIP. In just 24 and one-third innings, he's allowed 10 hits and two earned runs, with 18 strikeouts to four walks. Oh, and he owns the only shutout in baseball so far.

Miami helped Detroit out Saturday by going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, leaving at least one runner on in every inning except the eighth. Detroit can't count on that luck twice.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.