Tigers' Tarik Skubal Talks Red Sox's Big Changes Since Last Matchup

Not a great time for the Sox to run into an ace

May 14, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

UPDATE: Just minutes after this article was initially published, Skubal was scratched from his scheduled start against Boston on Monday.

The Boston Red Sox were already dominated once by two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal this season, and now they're squaring off against him once more.

On Monday, the Red Sox will face Skubal, who shrugged off a minor injury scare during his last start to complete seven solid innings and drop his season ERA to 2.70. Boston's tepid offense scored just one run and struck out 10 times against him on April 18; just a week later, the club fired manager Alex Cora and three hitting coaches.

Those changes certainly didn't escape Skubal's notice. But ahead of a second chance to victimize this Boston offense, the left-handed pitcher hinted that virtually nothing has changed for him, while so much is now different for the Red Sox's hitters on a daily basis.

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What Skubal said about Red Sox firing staff

Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) talks to catcher Dillon Dingler (13) against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

“Sure, there’s some familiarity there, and that’s what I’ll leave it as,” Skubal said, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. “And a lot of their changes, I don’t know how much of it was to the group of guys as it was to the coaching staff.

"I’m competing against (Willson) Contreras, (Trevor) Story, (Ceddanne) Rafaela, (Connor) Wong, Roman Anthony. I’m not really ever trying to compete with the coaching staff or (the manager). I have a lot of respect for those guys, but I’m competing in the moment in the box, with the guy that’s in the box.”

The Red Sox made it through just six games after Skubal shut their lineup down before firing Cora, hitting coach Pete Fatse, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, and hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin.

Boston has lost its last three matchups against the Tigers when Skubal has started, though they showed some fortitude last May in Detroit with five earned runs against the superstar lefty.

It's not a great time for a scuffling offense to run into a buzzsaw, but maybe a road trip and the added motivation of measuring themselves against the best in the game will galvanize something within the Boston hitters.