Dodgers' Tarik Skubal Surprised By One Thing in Return to Detroit

Los Angeles Dodgers star Tarik Skubal made his return to Detroit on Friday, facing the Tigers as an opponent for the first time in his career.

It hasn't even been a month since Skubal was traded to the Dodgers from the Tigers, making this return even more emotional for the left-hander. Skubal didn't know what to expect from his return, but he was surprised by how his emotions overcame him.

“I said I wasn’t gonna be [emotional], but I’ve come to figure out I don’t really know myself that well,” Skubal said. “It did catch me by surprise.”

The left-hander didn't allow emotions to get the better of him, helping the Dodgers get the win. Skubal fired six innings against his old team, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out seven.

The Tigers gave Skubal a tribute video, offering a thank-you to him for all his years of service with the club. Skubal was appreciative of the video, admitting that he did cry while watching it.

“The timing kind of threw me for a loop a little bit. But I think the emotions would’ve been the same regardless of the time," he said. “I think I did cry watching the video. There were definitely tears. Luckily enough, I was able to make it to the tunnel before more happened.”

Since being traded, Skubal has spoken at length about how much he loved the Tigers organization. Skubal has even gone so far as to say that he would love a return to Detroit once he hits free agency this winter.

But in this game, he proved that he was mentally tough, overcoming all the outside noise to perform at a high level. Skubal did enough to keep the Dodgers in the game, giving the offense a chance to grab the win.

“I think you saw the emotions early,” Skubal said. “But I think I did a good job of keeping baseball, baseball. I’m trying to compete and give our team a chance to win.”

With the Dodgers, Skubal has made five starts, posting a 3.00 ERA over 30 innings. The left-hander has said that his performances haven't been up to par, but over his last three outings, he's looked more like the multiple-time Cy Young Award winner.

Skubal has allowed five runs over his last 19 innings, striking out 25 batters. The lefty looks like he's rounding into form, just in time for the stretch run of the season with the Dodgers.

His time in Detroit was special, but now that he's with the Dodgers, Skubal is focused on helping this group win another World Series title. All the free-agency buzz needs to be pushed aside, and Skubal has done a good job of doing so in a limited time.

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