On deck: Milwaukee Brewers
Series: Three games at American Family Field, Milwaukee
First pitch: Monday-Tuesday — 7:40 p.m.; Wednesday — 1:10 p.m.
TV/radio: All three games are FDSN/97.1 FM
Probables: Monday — LHP Tarik Skubal (1-2, 3.78) vs. LHP Tyler Alexander (1-0, 2.84); Tuesday — RHP Jack Flaherty (1-0, 1.62) vs; RHP Quinn Priester (0-0, 1.80): Wednesday — RHP Reese Olson (1-1, 6.00) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (1-0, 0.00).
Scouting report
Skubal, Tigers: This will be his first start in Milwaukee. He beat the Brewers at Comerica Park last June, striking out 10 in 6.2 innings. He’s coming off his best start of the young season, blanking the Yankees on four hits over six innings. Here’s an example of how stats can be skewed in a short sample. Opponents are hitting .364 with a .500 slug against his four-seam fastball. He had a plus-19 run value with it last year, it is minus-1 right now. That will change.
Alexander, Brewers: This will be the third start for the former Tiger after starting the year in the bullpen. In his first start against the Reds, he pitched 5.2 no-hit innings. He’s added a sweeper to his mix the last two years, but this year he’s leaned hard on his 90-mph four-seam fastball and cutter. Hitters are 2 for 29 with nine strikeouts against those two pitches.
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Power lefties?
As soon as he saw he was going to be matched up against his old buddy Tyler Alexander in Milwaukee on Monday night, Tarik Skubal sent him a text.
“What a treat,” it read.
To which Alexander, whose heater maxes out at 90 mph, responded: “Two power lefties going at it.”
“I thought that was good,” Skubal said. “I told him, that mound is in for a beating. He’s such a good dude. I’m still really good friends with him.”
A lot of the Tigers’ players are. Alexander was in the Tigers’ organization from 2015 through 2023. He faced his old mates last season twice with the Rays, including a return to Comerica Park on Sept. 26 when he blanked them over five innings with six strikeouts.
“He’s just a fun guy to have around,” Skubal said. “Just a good guy to have in this setting where you do the same thing every day for like 180 days. You need guys like that to make it not so monotonous.
“He’s the perfect guy for that.”
