ON THE LAST Monday in August, in a minor league ballpark temporarily posing as a big league stadium, Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal walked off the mound after striking out the side in the second inning against the Athletics . He looked up over the first-base dugout at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, to see an army of Tigers caps and jerseys bearing his name and number. The people wearing them, including 25 members of his family, stood and clapped and yawped "Skoob" until Skubal disappeared into the visiting dugout. That one syllable was stretched out with such volume and length that, given the setting, felt mildly sadistic.

It was the perfect night: 85 degrees, no wind. The best pitcher in baseball was pitching for one of the best teams in baseball and an an

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