A verbal exchange between Tarik Skubal and Mike Vasil added another layer of intensity to a closely contested AL Central matchup between the White Sox and Tigers at Comerica Park.
Back-to-back Cy Young Award winner and Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal took the mound against the Chicago White Sox this weekend shortly after returning from injury. But the version of Skubal that we've seen since he came off the IL has looked very different from the pitcher we've seen in the past.
The White Sox got after Skubal in more ways than one, tagging him for seven hits and three earned runs over 5.2 innings. And while the White Sox would ultimately lose the game 4-3 after a bloop double by Kerry Carpenter brought home two runs late, the intensity at Comerica Park on Friday night was a pretty encouraging sight for White Sox fans who have been missing meaningful baseball.
After the White Sox tied the game in the top of the fifth inning, Skubal managed to work himself out of a jam and limit further damage despite Chicago having the bases loaded with just one out. As he walked off the mound following a strikeout of shortstop Colson Montgomery, Skubal turned toward the White Sox dugout and exchanged heated words with pitcher-turned-clubhouse-vibes-guy Mike Vasil.
The next inning, White Sox outfielder Junior Perez, playing in just his second career game, threw a counterpunch, launching his first MLB home run off Skubal and giving the White Sox a 3-2 lead.
The Tigers would go on to win the game, but there's clearly no love lost between these teams. And now more than ever, the White Sox are in a position to back up their talk.
Thanks to a late comeback win by the Houston Astros, the White Sox still sit atop the AL Central standings. And perhaps a little exchange between Vasil and Skubal can give Chicago some added fire during this stretch of divisional matchups.
"I was up there on the top step helping the team out, cheering them on. Next thing I know, I'm getting reamed out," Vasil said about the exchange after the game.
Skubal had a bit of a different interpretation of what happened.
"I think it was some pretty choice words and then I shared back some choice words. It was good stuff," said Detroit's ace.
The White Sox are back in action against the Tigers at Comerica Park with a first pitch scheduled for 12:10 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon. They'll look to get back to five games over .500, maintain their spot in first place, and pick up their 40th win of the season.
