Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Looking to Kick Fenway Park Demons
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Wherever the Detroit Tigers go in 2026, one of the biggest talking points will be surrounding Tarik Skubal's future in the Motor City. A free agent at the end of the season, it has been widely reported that there is no extension in place with the Tigers, and the offseason had its fair share of drama with Skubal.
On Friday, Detroit opened a four-game wraparound series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The game turned into a great pitcher's duel between the Tigers' Casey Mize and the Red Sox's Ranger Suárez. Neither pitcher was around when the outcome was decided on a walk-off single from Boston's Masataka Yoshida in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 1-0 win.
Detroit will look to even its series on Saturday afternoon at a chilly Fenway Park by sending Skubal to the mound. If the two-time Cy Young Award winner is going to help his team even the series, he'll have to exercise some Fneway Park demons.
Tigers Tarik Skubal Looking for First Fenway Park Win
Before Friday's opener, the Boston media tried to get Skubal to bite on his contract situation and potential free agency next winter. Of course, he wouldn't bite, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (subscription required).
“I won’t really think about next year until this year’s over,” said Skubal. “Hopefully we’re in the playoffs making a deep run. Hopefully we’re winning the World Series and I’m partying my (tail) off for a week or two weeks after the season, and then I can make those decisions.”
Nice try, Boston. Skubal didn't bite. As for his start on Saturday, it will be more than just about helping the Tigers get a win; it'll be about finally pitching well at Fenway Park. In his two starts in his career in Boston, Skubal is 0-2 and allowed 11 runs, 10 earned in just 10 innings. His second start, where he got shelled in Boston, was in 2023, the year before he won his first CyYoung Award.
Detroit had struggled out of the gate in 2026. They lost nine of their first 13 games before sweeping the Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals at home. Boston isn't exactly setting the world on fire early in the season and is battling the Toronto Blue Jays for the basement in the American League East.
If there was a start where Skubal could exercise his Fenway Park demons, it's late Saturday afternoon. It would go a long way to setting the tone for the rest of the weekend, with Boston having Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray starting the next two games.
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Scott Roche has covered both college and professional sports for nearly three decades for various outlets. Scott has covered the MLB, NHL, and college sports and he is someone always looking for a good rumor, no matter which sport it is.