Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal threw a 97 mph fastball for a swinging strikeout, screamed in celebration upon completing the seventh inning and received a standing ovation from the fans.

His walk from the mound to the dugout at Comerica Park was one to remember, as Skubal threw seven scoreless innings in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays to move the Tigers closer to clinching a spot in the postseason.

The Tigers could clinch as soon as Thursday.

"This is why you play the game, to play in moments like this and to play in front of fans," said Skubal, who threw 103 pitches. "With the whole time change, they still showed up and were pretty locked in from pitch one. It's a ton of fun. This is why you play the game. It's nice that we hold our own destiny now."

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The Tigers and Rays were supposed to play at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, but the Tigers switched Tuesday's game time to 1:10 p.m. because of rain in the forecast. Skubal received a heads up so he could get to bed early, but the Tigers didn't announce the time change until 7:15 p.m. Monday, less than 18 hours before the new time.

The Tigers sold 22,770 tickets.

Skubal acknowledged the fans — small in number but massive in intensity — by clapping his left hand into his glove while walking off the field for the final time in Tuesday's victory. It could've been his final start at Comerica Park in 2024, but he wasn't thinking about anything other than the fans and the postseason push.

A 4-1 record in the final five games guarantees the Tigers will advance to the playoffs, ending a nine-year drought.

"I'm very thankful," Skubal said. "The fans have always embraced me, ever since I got here. For me to go out and perform in front of them, and give them something to cheer about this late in the season, it's why you play the game."

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Four kids held signs: We skipped school for Skubal.

Skubal wants to see those cardboard signs again for the series finale against the Rays, scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Thursday, even though right-hander Reese Olson is scheduled to start.

"Let's have them miss school again on Thursday," Skubal said. "I think this is a great way to miss school. Go to school (Wednesday), and then take the day off (Thursday). It's fun."

Skubal put on a show for the kids — and the rest of the fans — in Tuesday's takedown of the Rays, with the 1:10 p.m. first pitch delayed by 49 minutes because of rain. He threw seven scoreless innings on two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.

In 2024, the 27-year-old leads the American League with 2.39 ERA while leading MLB with 18 wins and 228 strikeouts. He has achieved those marks across 192 innings in 31 starts.

"Every time I take the mound, I give it everything I got," Skubal said. "I don't want to leave anything in the tank. That's all I can do at the end of the day. I can't control soft hits, whatever happens defensively. All I can do is empty the take and give it everything I've got when I'm on the mound, so that's all I can promise to fans."

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The Tigers have a 21-10 record in Skubal starts, along with a 62-64 record in non-Skubal starts. Since Aug. 11, the Tigers have won 28 of 39 games to surge into the playoff picture.

"The goal is do this every year," Skubal said. "The goal is to peak in September and get to October hot and see what can happen. You never know with the playoffs."

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Skubal — currently scheduled to pitch in Sunday's season finale against the Chicago White Sox, if needed — was asked if he has given any thought to pitching in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series on Oct. 1, likely against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

"None," Skubal said.

"We got to get there," Skubal continued. "We haven't clinched or done anything like that. We got to get there, so my mind is on Sunday. We got to keep winning, keep winning. We'll get there. We can talk about that when it comes time."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal sends message to fans during playoff push