DETROIT (AP) — Tarik Skubal was welcomed with cheers and a smattering of boos in his return to Detroit, where he pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers against his former team for the first time since the middling franchise traded him to the two-time defending World Series champions.When the visitors’ lineup and Skubal were shown on the videoboard and his name was announced before the first pitch, most of the crowd at Comerica Park clapped for the two-time Cy Young Award winner while some jeered him.The Tigers showed a video montage from his seven-season career with the team and posted a message at the end: Thank you, Tarik.Skubal did not appear to react to the tribute or the crowd, which included many fans standing as he walked from the bullpen beyond the left-field wall to the Dodgers’ dugout with a white towel draped around his neck.
In a crowd that had mixed emotions about Skubal’s return, a couple young fans had fitting outfits sporting white Tigers jerseys with 29 and Skubal on the back — and a blue Dodgers hat.When the left-hander jogged to the mound to pitch for the first time as a visitor in the Motor City, booing fans were heard first followed by more cheers from fans in the stands.His first pitch was delayed because he appeared to have trouble with his communication device.
