DETROIT -- If the American League Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians goes to a decisive Game 5, the Tigers have no doubts about who will take the mound: ace Tarik Skubal. But while Game 5 is clear, the Tigers’ plans for Games 3 and 4 are intentionally less certain.

The Detroit Tigers are the best underdog story in Major League Baseball’s postseason. As they return home in a tied-at-one American League Divisional Series with the Cleveland Guardians, it is justified to focus on the cardiac-kids nature of these Tigers—the Gritty Tigs, they’re being called now.

Laura Skubal, Tarik's mother, was among those to take notice, and she went viral for scolding him and invoking his middle name on social media.Skubal, 27, won the AL Pitching Triple Crown this regular season,