Guardians Game 1 lineup is built to give Tarik Skubal fits

The Cleveland Guardians Game 1 lineup is out, and while it may not look like much on the surface, this starting nine could give Tarik Skubal fits. If any team were built to make Skubal's most recent postseason appearance a living hell, it is Cleveland – seemingly the one and only franchise to make MLB's best starting pitcher look human.

What's even more miraculous is that Skubal's numbers against Cleveland don't suggest as much. The likely back-to-back AL Cy Young winner has a 3-3 record against the Guardians career, with a 2.33 ERA and 84 strikeouts. What Cleveland does better than most is realizing their limitations.

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How the Guardians have gotten the best of Tarik Skubal

Skubal has pitched 28 innings against Cleveland this season, and has given up just two earned runs. He's been dominant – as is usually the case against any team he faces – but is just 1-1 in those four games, including two no-decisions. In his last start, Skubal was nearly perfect before it all fell apart.

In his last two starts against Cleveland in particular, the Guardians approach has been simple – put the ball in play. Hitting the ball past the infield is tough enough against Skubal in any given at-bat. Forcing him to make a play on the ball, whether it be a perfectly-placed bunt or even a grounder back to the mound, applies pressure that otherwise wouldn't exist. In those last two Skubal starts, he has given up 11 combined hits to Cleveland.

“That whole inning was the things that we talk about, we preach, we work on,” manager Stephen Vogt said after Cleveland defeated Skubal just last week, claiming first place and the AL Central tiebreaker. “The guys executed outstanding.”

Skubal himself was flabbergasted, as the Guardians took the lead and the division thanks to an inning in which the ball didn't leave the infield. For baseball fans in Cleveland, that is nothing new. It's just Guards ball.

"Did you watch the inning?” said Skubal.“I mean, two bunt singles, a swinging bunt, a lot of unfortunate things kind of happened there and unlucky things happened there to end up giving up three and giving up the lead."

Cleveland's lineup on Tuesday for Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series reflects much of the same strategy. No one player, minus Jose Ramirez, has impressive numbers against Skubal career, though the Tigers ace can be assured each better will make him work.

Progressive Field has been a house of horrors for Tarik Skubal

As much as Skubal claims to enjoy playing in front of Cleveland fans, they haven't loved him back in big moments. Whether it be last week's Tigers collapse or his ALDS clunker in 2024, Skubal must reverse the narrative against a Guardians lineup he should dominate on Tuesday.

The last time Skubal pitched against the Guardians in the postseason was Game 5 of the 2024 ALDS. He gave up a grand slam to Lane Thomas, kicking off a party at Progressive Field as Cleveland went on to clinch their spot in the ALCS against the New York Yankees. Thomas is not in the lineup Tuesday – he had foot surgery in early September – but the ghosts of postseason failures remain for Skubal, whether he'll admit it or not.

Back in May, Skubal made it clear he used that fateful October day as fuel for the 2025 season.

“I think whenever you fail in this game, it's motivation, right,” Skubal said Saturday afternoon. “There's only one happy team at the end of the year. Yeah, you use those things to fuel you. It's not like there's anything personal against this team. It's just we didn't win the World Series. That's pretty simple. There's a lot of motivation to get back to that point.”

And Skubal used that motivation in the form of a nine-inning, 13-strikeout shutout performance. Hopefully for the Tigers, he's due for more of the same against this version of Guards ball.