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Tarik Skubal Perfectly Trolled A's After HR Lights Mistakenly Played on Foul Ball

The folks at Sutter Health Park gave Skubal some bulletin board material.
Tarik Skubal had some fun after the A's played their home-run light show on a foul ball
Tarik Skubal had some fun after the A's played their home-run light show on a foul ball | Screengrab via FanDuel Sports Network Detroit

Tigers ace and American League Cy Young Award front-runner Tarik Skubal rarely gives up the long ball.

As he made his 26th start of the season Monday night, the Athletics' stadium production crew thought their team accomplished the rare feat. He let up a long fly ball to A's catcher Shea Langeliers that hooked outside of the left-field foul pole.

Unfortunately for the staff at the A's temporary home of Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif., someone thought the ball was fair. The lights flashed off and on to celebrate what was thought a home run, but was just a long foul ball.

Skubal ended up striking out Langeliers and he apparently took exception to the unwarranted light show as he walked back to the dugout. The dominant lefthander struck out seven batters over his first three innings and let the road crowd know about it, sarcastically motioning to play the lights again:

Last season's AL Cy Young Award winner is 11-3 this season with a 2.32 ERA—second across the MLB trailing only Pirates star Paul Skenes (2.07). Skubal had 200 strikeouts on the year as he went to the mound Monday night and he's only adding to that total, and he's doing so in quite entertaining fashion.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.