Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball: What we learned in MLB wild-card Game 1s

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Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

Rowan Kavner

MLB Writer

October is here, and the only thing certain in baseball is that it will be wild. Fittingly, the postseason commenced Tuesday with four wild-card games.

Day 1 certainly hasn’t disappointed thus far, with the Tigers, Royals and Mets all winning on the road.

FOX Sports MLB writers Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner will be offering their top takeaways from all the action.

Let the games begin!

METS 8, BREWERS 4

Mets keep winning their way

A boring, straightforward Mets playoff win? Those are allowed to exist? After all the dramatics of Monday’s doubleheader, taking Game 1 against the Brewers, particularly when Edwin Diaz was most likely unavailable after consecutive heavy workload days, was exactly the tone they needed to set in Milwaukee.

Two things stood out to me about this win. One, Luis Severino did an excellent job of making in-game adjustments and settling back into a rhythm after giving up two runs in the first inning. The right-hander can tend to spiral in his postseason outings, evidenced by his 5.15 ERA in 11 playoff starts with the Yankees, but he didn’t melt down, and he didn’t let the game get away from him Tuesday. That was important to keep New York’s offense in the game.

Two, it was a storybook ending for Francisco Lindor to crush that ninth-inning homer against the Braves on Sunday, but the reality is the Mets are in the playoffs because, throughout the year, they’ve relied on the entire lineup to come through. Freddy Peralta was knocked out after just four innings on 68 pitches in Game 1.

The Mets are at their best when guys like Mark Vientos, who put them ahead for good in the fifth, and Jesse Winker, who tied the game with a two-RBI triple in the second, are contributing. In a season marked by teamwork, New York continues to pass the baton and find new heroes to deliver go-ahead hits. — Deesha Thosar

TIGERS 3, ASTROS 1

Tigers got the game they had to have

As incredible as their end-of-season run was — they went an MLB-best 31-13 in their last 44 games and led the majors with a 2.72 ERA in that time — what was equally incredible is the way they did it, with ace Tarik Skubal serving as the workhorse of a patchwork rotation composed primarily of multi-inning relievers. That’s what it’s going to be in October, too. As manager AJ Hinch told reporters before the wild-card series, “Our plan, to give you an overview, is Tarik Skubal tomorrow and pitching chaos the rest of the way.”

The Tigers have clearly demonstrated they can win with that chaos, but it’s hard to rely on mayhem. Winning the Skubal game felt like a must. He provided the one sure thing in the Detroit rotation, and in his first career playoff appearance, the triple crown winner got it done.

Now, things will get interesting. The Tigers have other actual starters they can use on the roster, including Reese Olson and Casey Mize, but odds are the next day (or two) will feature a bevy of arms. Expect to see a good amount of Tyler Holton — he had an 0.83 ERA in the second half and threw only two pitches in Game 1 — with a chance to close it out.

For the Astros, it’s not panic time. They have the clear upper hand in the rotation the rest of the way, and experience is on their side. But the youthful Tigers, in the dance for the first time since 2014 after a scorching finish to the year, don’t appear fazed. — Rowan Kavner

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Skubal might just be getting started

Tarik Skubal and the Tigers absolutely came to play. Even taking away the fact that Detroit had to win Game 1 with their ace on the mound, this young and hungry squad made it obvious they’ll be tough to go through for the remainder of the series, too.

While Skubal’s dangerous arsenal and fired-up attitude were nothing new, what stood out to me is the advantage he gives himself by pitching so quickly. With that fast delivery, Skubal can easily replicate his mechanics and give hitters minimal time to adjust to what might be coming next. His six scoreless innings Tuesday made it easy to see how he earned the pitcher’s triple crown. — Deesha Thosar

ROYALS 1, ORIOLES 0

Must feel like déjà vu in Baltimore

This was exactly what the Orioles envisioned out of Corbin Burnes when they traded for the ace this winter. In the biggest game of the season, he went eight innings for the first time this year. He held a scuffling Royals offense to one run. It should have been enough to start the postseason on a better note than it ended last year for the Orioles.

It wasn’t.

And for an Orioles team club has now lost nine straight postseason games, memories of last year’s sweep have to linger.

For Baltimore to fulfill its October expectations, the offense needs to lead the way. For now, the malaise continued. The Orioles ranked second in the American League in OPS on the season but 15th in the majors from the start of July through the end of the year. Unsurprisingly, Baltimore also had a losing record in that time. They have 24 hours to try to find it again, and the task doesn’t get much easier as they go from seeing Cole Ragans to Seth Lugo. — Rowan Kavner

Check back later for commentary on Braves-Padres.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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