Tarik Skubal records rare MLB feat in latest Tigers vs. Rangers outing
Tarik Skubal shined in his latest start against the Texas Rangers on Friday. In the process, he etched his name into Major League Baseball history with one of the most efficient and overpowering six-start stretches ever recorded.
Skubal delivered a masterclass on the mound, tossing seven innings of two-hit, one-run ball with 12 strikeouts and zero walks. But beyond the box score, the Detroit Tigers’ left-hander did something no other pitcher has ever done in the modern game.
Skubal became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out more than 40 batters over a six-start stretch without allowing more than four total runs and without issuing more than one walk in that span. He didn't just surpass the 40-strikeout mark — he blew past it, reaching 50 strikeouts.
If that wasn’t enough, Skubal also generated 32 swinging strikes against the Rangers — the most whiffs by any pitcher in a single start this season.
Tarik Skubal reacts after 2-1 win against Rangers
Skubal was decked out in Tigers' Motor City alternate uniform, but little did he know he was about to throw his best outing of the 2025 season. Comerica Park witnessed a pitching spectacle from the reigning AL Cy Young winner in the Tigers' 2-1 win.
It was after he retired 15 straight hitters before he allowed a runner on base Friday night. Before that, even Skubal thought that he was in for a special night for a no-hit bid.
“Oh yeah, after one [inning],” Skubal said via MLB.com. “I thought I had a chance to do something special tonight. Obviously, those things are really special and you need a lot of things to go right. But I thought the stuff coming out of my hand was pretty good early. The shadows were in my favor, so I was trying to get through that as fast as possible.”
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy shared his thoughts on why Skubal's stuff was unhittable.
“He had a big fastball,” Bochy said. “He’s got that great changeup, and he’ll go with the breaking ball. But the fastball was really good for him tonight. It had a lot of hop on it, and it was getting to them quick.”
No pitcher is even close to what Skubal has done in his past six games. He has posted a 0.98 ERA over 37 innings in that span, along with 50 strikeouts and only one walk.