DETROIT — Whatever you think of Tarik Skubal, know this: He is a pitcher who understands the stakes and the stage. He is aware of his importance to the Detroit Tigers. He knows and has embraced his stature in the sport.With all that comes the burdens of excellence. Amped-up pressure. Sky-high expectations. You live under a microscope. While other pitchers might receive some grace on a night they strike out nine batters and generate a dizzying 40 percent whiff rate, Skubal has to relitigate the mistakes.“It’s part of the gig,” Skubal said Wednesday night after a 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees. “Pressure is a privilege in this sport. I think it’s a privilege in life, honestly. Everyone in here has high expectations for me. I appreciate that. Our fanbase has high expectations for me. I appreciate that. Early in my career, it wasn’t like that. You can feel it, and I love it. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”The Yankees registered only four hits in six innings against Skubal during Wednesday’s outing at Comerica Park. Three of those hits left the yard.In the rubber match of the series, Paul Goldschmidt timed up a fastball in his first at-bat, then walloped a curveball in his second at-bat. It was his second career two-homer game against Skubal.In the sixth inning, Jasson Domínguez battled Skubal for eight pitches, surviving against the stuff that baffled him earlier in the game. Then Skubal left a final changeup right down the middle. Domínguez sent it flying 382 feet.That was enough to beat Detroit’s ace and send the Tigers to another loss that, even as they play better in June, they can still hardly afford.“What matters right now is results,” Skubal said. “I haven’t been good enough, and I haven’t held up my side of the bargain in terms of what our team expects out of me, what I expect out of myself every time I’m out there.”In Skubal’s third start back from the surgery that removed a loose body from his left elbow, the savvy southpaw had arguably his best stuff of the year. His calling-card changeup dove off cliffs and past the bats of Yankees hitters, who whiffed at 12 of them.Even in his third duel with Goldschmidt, Skubal powered a 99.6 mph fastball, his hardest pitch of the night, past Goldschmidt for a punchout.