Tarik Skubal's Looking for Redemption Against Sandy Alcantara and the Tigers Still Can't Close Out a Series

The Detroit Tigers are about to get a third crack at something they cannot seem to finish: sweeping a series. Sunday's finale against Miami features two of baseball's most dominant arms, but for the Tigers, this is really about breaking a frustrating pattern and getting A.J. Hinch's team moving in the right direction after a brutal 4-9 start.

Detroit has been here twice already this season. They won the first two games at San Diego to start the year, then dropped the third. Same thing happened last weekend at home against St. Louis. They took the first two, lost the finale. That's not how you build momentum early in the season, and the Tigers know it.

Riley Greene Carrying the Load, A.J. Hinch Reaches 400 Wins

Saturday's 6-1 victory was built on Riley Greene's two-run homer and an RBI single, keeping Detroit alive in this series after losing five straight. The two-time All-Star is running hot. He's reached base safely in all 15 games to start the season, the longest hitting streak to open a year for a Tigers player since Brandon Inge's 24-game run in 2009.

The win marked A.J. Hinch's 400th as a manager. He is now only the second active skipper to reach that milestone with two different teams, joining Cincinnati's Terry Francona. Hinch won 481 games managing Houston, but he was quick to redirect the spotlight away from himself.

"I have an incredible job in an incredible city," Hinch said. "I do respect how long it takes to pile up a number of things like that. But it's not about me. It's about the staff around me and the group that we get to go to battle with. I'm very fortunate to be in this position."

Miami made it easy Saturday, going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranding at least one base runner in every inning except the eighth.

Skubal vs. Alcantara: Cy Young Showdown

Here is where Sunday gets interesting. Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner, gets his first home start after three road outings. He is 1-2 on the season but has a clean 2.55 ERA with 16 strikeouts to just two walks. He's lost his last two starts, and he needs this one badly.

Standing in his way is Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 National League Cy Young winner, who has been absolutely lights out to start the season. Alcantara is 2-0 with a microscopic 0.74 ERA and 0.58 WHIP. He has 18 strikeouts against just four walks through 24 1/3 innings, allowed only 10 hits, and owns the majors' lone shutout so far this season.

The Tigers improved to 4-1 at Comerica Park. If they finally close out a series Sunday, they keep the train rolling. If they don't? That's three sweeps that got away.

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