Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes will square off first in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
The two were named starting pitchers for the matchup on Saturday night, which should set up a great battle to kick off the contest at Truist Park in Atlanta.
Both Skubal and Skenes are back for their second All-Star appearance this season. Skenes opened the game for the National League last season, too, and pitched a scoreless inning in the loss to the American League.
Skenes holds a league-best 2.01 ERA so far this season, his second in the league. He has a 4-8 record in 20 starts. He has 131 strikeouts on the year, too. The Pirates sit at 38-58 on the season heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Minnesota Twins. They’ve lost eight straight.
Skubal holds a 2.23 ERA with 153 strikeouts this season, which is second in the league behind only Boston Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet. Skubal holds a 10-3 record, which is also the second-best in the league. The Tigers have lost three straight heading into Sunday’s contest against the Seattle Mariners, their final game before the break. They hold a 59-37 record, which is the best in the league.
The American League has won 10 of the last 11 All-Star Games dating back to 2013, including last year’s 5-3 win in Texas. Arizona Diamondbacks ace Corbin Burnes got the start over Skubal last season for the National League.
The Home Run Derby is set for Monday night in Atlanta, and the All-Star Game will kick off on Tuesday night to wrap up the weekend.
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