What started out as a pitcher’s duel, one billed as a matchup of Cy Young candidate versus Cy Young candidate ended in a sprint to simply get the 27th out as quickly as possible. The Tigers would prevail, but not before things at least got a bit interesting.
The first two innings were as billed. Zack Wheeler and Tarik Skubal were masterful in those opening frames, matching each other with strikeout after strikeout out, weak contact after weak contact. In the third, the Tigers got to Wheeler when the Phillies ace made two mistakes over the middle of plate, Colt Keith and Kerry Carpenter not missing either one of them.