SI

Tarik Skubal Was So Fired Up by Kerry Carpenter's Game-Saving Robbery

Carpenter's catch preserved the win for the Tigers' ace.

Kyle Koster

Kerry Carpenter makes a great catch in the eighth inning of the Detroit Tigers' victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Kerry Carpenter makes a great catch in the eighth inning of the Detroit Tigers' victory over the Chicago Cubs. / Detroit Tigers on X
In this story:

The Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs, who hold the best records in their respective leagues, squared off in a Friday night matchup with Tarik Skubal on the mound. The Comerica Park crowd was treated to a 3-1 victory by their team, but the win did not come without a scare in the top of the eighth. With the Tigers holding a 2-1 advantage, Detroit manager A.J. Hinch pulled Skubal after two Cubs got on base, setting up a battle between reliever Will Vest and Seiya Suzuki.

Suzuki lofted a fly ball to deep right field that may not have had home-run distance but certainly would have driven in the go-ahead run. Kerry Carpenter, though, had other plans and continued the Tigers' sterling defensive night by going up and making the grab while colliding with the fence.

No one was more amped-up by the moment than Skubal, who saw his and the team's victory preserved with the stellar glove work. The reigning American League Cy Young winner is known for his intensity on the mound and it appears that can carry over to the dugout—especially when his decision was still up in the air.

More MLB on Sports Illustrated

feed

Published
Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

Home/MLB