The Tigers’ collapse has evolved from worrying to historic, and it all unfolded brutally on Sunday. Detroit struck out 12 times, stranded eight runners, and fell 6-2 to the Braves, their sixth straight loss and ninth in ten games. A team that once led the AL Central by 15 1/2 games now clings to a one-game edge over Cleveland, with the Guardians moving at Progressive Field for a head-to-head showdown.
And now everything rests on Tarik Skubal. Detroit’s ace gets the ball Tuesday in what feels like an elimination game. Skubal, who owns a 2.23 ERA and has allowed two or fewer runs in 20 of his 28 starts out of 30, has been the one steady presence on a team that’s unraveled twice this year, once in July, when they dropped 12 of 13, and now in September. Although Skubal ended the 2nd inning with a K, his team is not in an ordinary slump.
MLB analyst Rob Parker isn’t pulling punches. “This is who they are. Frauds. They were a mirage all year. They’re not that good, Steve. A good team doesn’t lose this many games,” Parker said on MLB Now, arguing that the Detroit Tigers’ second collapse proves they were never a true contender.
“This is who they are. Frauds. They were a mirage all year, they’re not that good, Steve.”@robparkerMLBbro weighs in on the Tigers. pic.twitter.com/OXP6Tq9XEn
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) September 22, 2025
He might have a point. Sunday’s game looked eerily familiar to July’s disasters: Early scoring chances wasted, bullpen faltering late, and bats going cold against an average starter. “Here’s my only issue,” Parker added. “The Tigers feel dead to me. I mean, you watch the games, you’ve seen a team this bad, and I get it.” The criticism cuts to the heart of the matter.
Detroit seems to be relying almost entirely on Skubal to salvage a few games. “That sounds good,” he continued, but “The only problem is last year when they got knocked out in the postseason, it was Skubal who was on the mound.”
The warning is clear. Even elite pitching can’t compensate for a struggling team. “This Guardians team is better than you’re giving them credit, and I’m telling you I think they’ll sweep all three games. This will be done for the Tigers, and Skubal might not even have to pitch on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Guardians star Jose Ramirez has been anything but cold. Hitting .364 with 14 RBIs during Cleveland’s 8–2 run that has made the AL Central into a competitive division. The contrast between Detroit’s struggling offense and Cleveland’s winning streak shows just how precarious the Tigers’ hold on the division has become.
That’s what is making Tuesday so massive. A Skubal gem could stop the bleeding and give Detroit breathing room. A loss could all but seal their fate, hoping for Houston or Seattle to collapse in the Wild Card race.
Tigers rotation shake-up: Skubal moves up
The Detroit Tigers are making a bold move to save their postseason hopes.
With the team dealing with a 1–9 slump and the Cleveland Guardians closing in on the AL Central lead, manager A.J. Hinch has announced a strategic adjustment to the pitching rotation. Tarik Skubal, Detroit’s left-handed workhorse, has moved up in the rotation to pitch Tuesday on just four days’ rest. It’s a bold gamble, but one the team feels they have to take. And it has already shown.
By slotting him into the opener against the Guardians, the Tigers hope to snatch an early lead in what could be the most pivotal week of the season. Right now, they are leading 1-0. Every pitch matters, and Skubal’s ability to dominate, even on short rest, could set the tone for the division showdown.
The move isn’t just about Tuesday. It’s strategic chess. The Tigers can maintain their ace availability for the season finale on Sunday, against the Boston Red Sox, by giving Skubal a midweek start. This is like creating a safety net around him, ensuring he’s available when the stakes are highest. For Skubal, pitching on short rest is no small task.
With the Tigers’ playoff odds sitting at 62.7% as of September 23, according to FanGraphs, the margin for error is razor-thin.
The good thing is Skubal won’t be carrying the burden by himself. He can get offensive help from veterans such as Riley Greene and Javier Baez. While reliable bullpen arms like Kyle Finnegan, Will Vest, and Tyler Holton can help maintain leads. At last, if Skubal performs well on Tuesday and possibly on Sunday, and the supporting players step up, Detroit could transform this week into something extraordinary.