Sports
Longtime friends Tarik Skubal of Tigers, Matthew Boyd of Guardians share Game 2 stage
Oct 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts after a strikeout against the Houston Astros in the sixth inning in game one of the Wild Card round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Tarik Skubal’s path toward being the probable American League Cy Award winner includes receiving tutelage from former Detroit teammate Matthew Boyd.
That’s the same Matthew Boyd who will start for the Cleveland Guardians against Skubal in Game 2 of the AL Division Series on Monday afternoon in Cleveland.
“Now we’re on this stage so I think that’s pretty special,” Skubal said. “It’ll be fun to watch him go play. But I’m going to be rooting against him pretty heavily.”
Skubal (18-4, 2.39 ERA) and the Tigers are looking to even the series after Cleveland rolled to a 7-0 victory in Saturday’s Game 1.
Boyd (2-2, 2.72) pitched for the Tigers from 2015-21 and again in 2023. His second tenure ended with Tommy John surgery. Then it was Skubal’s time to be the supportive one.
“His story coming back from Tommy John and he signs with (Cleveland) and gets an opportunity to prove that he’s healthy, and he’s looked great,” Skubal said of Boyd. “So I actually watched a lot of his rehab starts, too, and texted him after those just because the process is tough. Tommy John is a tough injury to have. Just more mentally than physically.”
Skubal, 27, knows the agony of rehabbing because he did it himself. He missed the 2017 season as a college sophomore at Seattle University after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Boyd, a Seattle-area native, first heard of fellow lefty Skubal in 2018 when talking to Seattle University coach Donny Harrel. A few months later, the Tigers drafted Skubal in the ninth round.
Their relationship strengthened during the COVID-19 shortened season of 2020. Skubal reached the majors and needed work on the mental side of the game.
“I had a lot of discussions with him, just mentally, you’re worried about going up and down, how do I just focus on my job?” Skubal said. “And he had a lot of advice and a lot of good stuff for me throughout all that.
“I think that speaks to the guy he is. I think he’s the nicest guy in the world.”
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch concurred with Skubal’s scouting report.
“Man, you’re going to make me say positive things about Matt Boyd before Game 2,” Hinch said. “Everything that has been said about him really can only be positive.
“You know, baseball is incredible. It leads you to sometimes familiar places, and this one is leading us to a familiar face in a really big game against somebody who we all respect and admire.”
Boyd, 33, signed with the Guardians in late June and returned to the majors in mid-August. He didn’t face the Tigers this season. Overall, the left-hander has pitched four hitless innings in two career relief appearances against Detroit.
He will not have mixed feelings Monday, but he’s not shy about expressing his appreciation of his time with the Tigers.
“I’m grateful for my time in Detroit, and Detroit will always be a second home and I’ll always have just immense, immense gratitude for the Tigers organization and a love for Michigan because of our time there,” Boyd said.
Skubal won his lone meeting against Cleveland this season – the lefty gave up one run and 10 hits over seven innings on July 22 — and is 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA in eight starts against the Guardians.
Cleveland roughed up the Tigers for five first-inning runs in Game 1, with Lane Thomas’ three-run homer in his first career postseason at-bat being the big blow.
“I thought it was great for our guys to come out with a bang like that,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “For us to come out swinging like that and putting pressure on the other team, and obviously for Lane, we’ve loved having Lane since the first day he got here, and for him to get the big hit there, that was a big moment.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. leaves Rockies game with hamstring tightness
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left Saturday’s game at the Colorado Rockies with left hamstring tightness.
Acuna grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning in Denver. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
The 2023 National League MVP, Acuna entered the day hitting .248 with two homers and nine RBIs in 33 games. He led off the game with a single and scored when Drake Baldwin followed with a home run.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .186 with two homers and seven RBIs in 19 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates wreck Reds; tie MLB record for consecutive walks
May 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Home plate umpire Willie Traynow keeps Cincinnati Reds second baseman Sal Stewart (27) away from Pittsburgh Pirates cvatcher Henry Davis after he was nearly hit by the ball during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images The host Pittsburgh Pirates scored 15 runs in the first four innings and took advantage of record wildness by the Cincinnati Reds to roll to a 17-7 victory on Saturday.
Rookie Konnor Griffin doubled, tripled and went 4-for-5 while driving in two, while Ryan O’Hearn doubled and drove in three as the top eight hitters in the Pirates lineup each had at least one hit while seven batters had at least two hits.
Pittsburgh also drew seven consecutive walks in the second inning — tying a major league record set in 1909 and equaled in 1983. The Pirates scored five runs in the second without a hit, becoming the first team to accomplish the feat since 1994.
Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (2-2) was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. He struck out a career-high 10 while scattering eight hits, two walks and five runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Will Benson and JJ Bleday homered and Nathaniel Lowe drove in three runs for the Reds, who trailed 15-3 after four innings. Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder (3-2) surrendered eight runs, five hits and four walks before being removed with one out in the second.
Since losing 2-0 to Cincinnati in their first meeting on March 30, Pittsburgh has won the last four by a combined 42-14 score.
For a second straight day, the game was played in raw conditions, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees.
Lowder appeared miserable in the cold and struggled badly early. He was unable to find his rhythm or command while allowing four runs before there were two outs in the first inning. The five runs allowed in the first were a career high for the right-hander.
Lowder labored through 30 pitches in the first as O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Griffin each doubled in the five-run outburst. Lowder then walked the bases loaded in the second before being pulled.
Reliever Connor Phillips came in and walked all four Pirates he faced to force in four runs. He left after throwing just five of his 21 pitches for strikes.
The last time seven straight walks were issued in a Major League game came on May 25, 1983, when three Pirates pitchers walked seven in a row at Atlanta in a 6-0 Braves win.
The five runs without a hit in the second happened for the first time since April 27, 1994, when the Seattle Mariners allowed five runs to the New York Yankees in the top of the third inning.
With the score 15-6, Pittsburgh reliever Chris Devenski was ejected for throwing inside near the ribcage of Sal Stewart to open the seventh. Stewart took exception and stared out at the mound. But the encounter did not escalate as umpires intervened.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Max Meyer, 2 relievers hold Phillies to 1 hit
May 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer (23) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Max Meyer only allowed one hit in seven shutout innings and Xavier Edwards homered in the host Miami Marlins’ 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday
Meyer (2-0) faced one over the minimum number of batters with a walk and seven strikeouts in the longest start of his career. He threw 55 strikes in 83 pitches.
Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi each retired the side in order in the combined one-hitter.
Otto Lopez and Edwards each had two hits with a run and an RBI and Connor Norby was 2-for-3 with a run batted in for the Marlins, who evened the four-game series at one win each.
Garrett Stubbs got the lone hit for the Phillies, who had their four-game winning streak under interim manager Don Mattingly snapped. Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and has struck out in all eight at-bats over his last two games, tying a career high for consecutive strikeouts.
Philadelphia right-hander Andrew Painter (1-3) gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings with three walks and seven strikeouts.
The Marlins took a 2-0 lead in the third on consecutive bases-loaded, two-out walks to Agustin Ramirez and Norby.
It was the second straight inning Miami loaded the bases with one out with three consecutive singles. In the second, Painter got Graham Pauley on a foul out and struck out Esteury Ruiz swinging to end the inning.
Edwards’ one-out solo homer in the fifth made it 3-0. He drove Painter’s 1-1 four-seam fastball into the right-field stands for his second home run.
Lopez’s infield single with two outs in the sixth increased the Marlins’ advantage to 4-0.
Stubbs singled in the third with one out and was erased on an inning-ending double play.
Justin Crawford was scratched from the Phillies’ lineup because of a migraine.
Philadelphia also activated catcher J.T, Realmuto from the 10-day injured list (back spasms) earlier Saturday and designated Dylan Moore for assignment. Realmuto was hitless in three at-bats.
–Field Level Media
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. leaves Rockies game with hamstring tightness
Pirates wreck Reds; tie MLB record for consecutive walks
