Detroit Tigers ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal had no trouble handling the Cleveland Guardians lineup during Game 2 of the American League Division Series, as he pitched seven shutout innings and struck out eight batters to help his club earn the victory.
But Skubal did get himself into trouble with his mother.
After inducing a grounder that resulted in an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the fifth inning, Skubal yelled, "Shut the f**k up" at the Progressive Field crowd as he walked off the mound.
Skubal's mother was not a fan of the language, and she let him know it in a post on X (formerly Twitter), even resorting to using his middle name—the universal sign that a line has been crossed.
Tarik Daniel!!
— Laura Skubal (@lskubal) October 7, 2024
Making an appearance on Costa and Jansen with Heather on 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday ahead of Game 3, Skubal shared that he also received an admonishing text message from his mother in addition to the scolding tweet.
"She texted me after the game, 'Love you,' whatever, but she was saying the same thing, she's like, 'You can't do that on the road,' " Skubal said. "And I'm like, 'I know, Mom, I know. I don't what got into me.'"
"That was really funny."
Skubal, the presumptive AL CY Young award winner, has been lights-out for the Tigers this season, and in the postseason, where he has yet to allow an earned run in two starts. But apparently, one is never too old—or too successful—to avoid being reprimanded by their middle name.
"Tarik Daniel is when I was in trouble growing up, so I haven't got that in a while, probably since high school is the last time I was really in trouble with my mom."
While Skubal acknowledged that the moment gave him an adrenaline boost, he also admitted that getting so fired up towards fans was probably not wise.
"I guess I wish I would have just kept it within our team and our guys and not really interact with the fans, just because it becomes a slippery slope and some bad things can happen, especially if fans are drunk, whatever, (stuff) happens," Skubal said. "I should probably just keep that within our team going forward, but it was fun. Obviously, I fed off of it."
Skubal's Tigers won Game 3 on Wednesday by a score of 3–0. Unless Cleveland forces a Game 5, Tigers fans are unlikely to see Skubal on the mound again until the American League Championship Series.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tarik Skubal Received Admonishing Text From His Mom After NSFW Moment vs. Guardians.
