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A 1-1 day on the diamond yesterday isn’t exactly what I wanted, but I’ll take it, because it’s still better than losing both games. The lone win over the Twins was sweat-free and trouble-free. The loss to the Red Sox was a little more frustrating. Trey Yesavage, to his credit, pitched a great game, but the Red Sox tied it up and then blew it late. Well, let’s go to the AL Central for this one.
The leader of the American League Central Division is playing in this game, but it’s not one any of us expected. Like I said about other teams, now is not the time to start printing playoff tickets. However, it is very cool that the Chicago White Sox are leading their division when they were expected to be last place this season. They are 39-34 on the year, giving South Side fans a reason to cheer for the first time in several years. It would be shocking to see them complete this, but it would also be equally surprising to see if the White Sox make a splash next month via trade.
Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers watches between pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia on April 29, 2026. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
They’ll almost certainly need some pitching if they want to close this deal. If they want to challenge for a trophy, they’ll need some arms, a bat and maybe something else. Today, they use journeyman Erick Fedde as a starter. He performed well for the team, but nothing special. He is 2-5 for the year with a 4.50 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. One of the biggest reasons for concern today is that Fedde has been horrible on the road with a 6.18 ERA in five starts. He had a solid win against the Tigers in late May, going four innings and allowing four hits and two earned runs.
The Detroit Tigers are in the news today because of their starting pitcher. We’re all well aware that Tarik Skubal is likely to make a lot of money this offseason, but we’re also aware that he could be traded before the deadline. He said yesterday that if the Tigers don’t improve, it’s probably not just him who gets traded. For a team that has made the playoffs two years in a row, they look pretty bad right now. They are 14 games under .500 and 27 games under .500 since August 23 of last year.
TIGERS ARE INCREASINGLY LIKELY TO TRADE TARIK SKUBAL BEFORE DEADLINE AS PLAYOFF HOPES WEAKEN, REPORTS SAY
Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox celebrates his two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning in Phoenix, Arizona on April 22, 2026. (Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo)
We know Skubal is on any team’s wish list, but if I acquire him, I want to make sure he’s healthy for the rest of the year. This will be only his second start since going on the injured list. He went 4.2 innings against the Guardians, allowing five hits and allowing three runs (two earned). He hasn’t faced the White Sox this season, but has seen them quite a bit over the seasons. They’re only hitting .209 against him, but Randal Grichuk has done it, going 4 for 11 against him.
Every time Skubal takes the mound, the books are going to tip the scales in his favor. This makes sense; he gives the Tigers a very good chance to win every five days. However, I will probably never pay that kind of price for a baseball game. The value rests with the White Sox as Skubal needs to figure out his pitching again after missing some time. But I wouldn’t bet that either. I don’t hate the Tigers -1.5 to -105.
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan on September 6, 2025. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
Instead, I’m taking the under-8s in this match. The reason is that Skubal may not be as sharp, but if he is, we won’t see any runs from the White Sox. The Tigers are averaging just four runs per game, and the White Sox offense is giving up about that amount as well. Most Tigers games are low scoring. The White Sox have been giving up a lot of runs lately, but I just don’t see the Tigers getting there, even against Fedde.
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