Tarik Skubal's brilliant performance in the playoff opener gave the Detroit Tigers renewed life after their September stumbles.

In one of the best pitched postseason games in the 125-year history of the Detroit Tigers, the supremely talented 28-year-old southpaw recorded 23 of the 27 outs required — including 14 via strikeout — to secure a 2-1 Game 1 victory and a 1-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the best-of-three wild-card series.

Through all the ups and downs of the Tigers’ stretch run that turned a postseason berth from a near-formality to a serious question, they had one of baseball’s most formidable, most consistent factors for a postseason: Tarik Skubal at the top of the rotation.