Phillies' rally falls short in loss to Tigers as Tarik Skubal wins a battle of top pitching aces

Lochlahn March, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Aug 2, 2025

Published in Baseball

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PHILADELPHIA — With Tarik Skubal warming up just a few feet above Zack Wheeler, fans milling around the outfield bullpens were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at two Cy Young candidates.

Saturday’s Phillies-Tigers game was also a showdown between two of the top pitchers in the National League and American League. Both Wheeler and Skubal racked up the strikeouts, recording 10 apiece, and both were charged with three earned runs.

But it was ultimately Skubal who came away with the 7-5 win for Detroit, while Wheeler was charged with the loss.

Wheeler wasn’t at his sharpest, as all the runs he allowed came on homers. He gave up a pair of solo shots in the third inning off his four-seam. He ended his day without recording an out in the seventh following a two-run homer from Javier Báez, though only one run was earned after a fielding error from Otto Kemp at third.

The Phillies stacked right-handed hitters in an effort to combat Skubal, with Harrison Bader making his first start as a Phillie. But Skubal’s fastball and changeup were nearly untouchable through six innings. Even as he accumulated strikeouts, Skubal was efficient, and he entered the seventh with a pitch count of 71.

But an eight-pitch at-bat from Bryce Harper that ended in a leadoff single set the tone for a breakout inning. J.T. Realmuto doubled to the left field corner to score Harper from first, before Nick Castellanos sent a changeup out of the deepest part of the ballpark, Monty’s Angle in center field. It marked only the second home run Skubal has allowed off his changeup this season. And suddenly, the Phillies were back in it, down 5-3.

The Tigers once again created some separation in the eighth, scoring two runs on Matt Strahm after two walks and a bases-clearing triple. The Phillies fought back within two on a two-run homer from Harper, but they went down in order in the ninth as the comeback attempt fell short.