Tarik Skubal, the current ace of the Detroit Tigers, made his MLB debut in 2020.
Matthew Boyd, an integral part of the Cleveland Guardians rotation today, joined the Tigers in 2015 and stayed there until 2023.
For parts of four seasons, Skubal and Boyd were teammates and shared a clubhouse.
Over the years, they developed a close, tight friendship.
On Monday, they will have to square off on the mound and try to achieve different goals.
Skubal needs to do his best to force a series tie, so the Tigers can go to Detroit with a fighting chance in the best-of-five matchup.
Boyd, on the other hand, will try to give Cleveland a commanding 2-0 lead.
“Once Tigers teammates, now close friends, Skubal and Boyd to square off in Game 2 of ALDS,” AP’s Tom Withers posted on X.
Once Tigers teammates, now close friends, Skubal and Boyd to square off in Game 2 of ALDS https://t.co/hDjzQio9dM
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) October 6, 2024
“He’s a great mentor and leader. He means a lot to me,” Skubal said in the article about Boyd.
You can say that Boyd had a hand in the development not only of Skubal, but also on many of the pitchers on the current Tigers staff.
He is on the other team now, though.
Game 2 is scheduled for Monday at 4:08 pm ET.
Cleveland took the first one with a dominant offensive and pitching display on Saturday.
Skubal is currently the best starter in the American League, having won the triple crown with a 2.39 ERA.
His presence alone makes the Tigers favorites for the game.
Boyd, however, is throwing the ball really well in 2024.
The southpaw posted a 2.72 ERA in 39.2 frames.
Skubal is a true stud, but Boyd is very much capable of giving Cleveland a 2-0 lead.
NEXT: Guardians' Bullpen Proving Its Worth On The Biggest Stage
