Skubal Returns to Detroit with Dodgers, Relies on True Crime to Stay Focused

Tarik Skubal will face his former team, the Tigers, for the first time since being traded to the Dodgers, acknowledging the emotional challenge of pitching at Comerica Park. He credits a daily true-crime documentary habit, including a recent Charles Manson special, for keeping his mind off distractions. Skubal, a two-time Cy Young winner in Detroit, says baseball remains his normal and he's focused on the game itself.

Skubal's early Dodgers numbers show steady production: a 3.38 ERA with 30 strikeouts across 24 innings in four starts, though he has surrendered multiple earned runs in three of those outings. His track record at Comerica Park is formidable, carrying a 2.67 ERA over 77 career home starts spanning 445.2 innings.

Selected in the ninth round out of Seattle University, Skubal spent eight seasons in the Detroit organization, earning two AL Cy Young awards in his final two full years there. The Tigers ended a 10-year playoff drought in 2024 and have reached the postseason in consecutive seasons. Friday's outing marks his first road start since his Dodgers debut at Wrigley Field on Aug. 4.