CLEVELAND (AP) — Tarik Skubal is longing for another emotional outburst in October that will have Tigers fans roaring — even if it embarrasses his mother.

Baseball’s best pitcher of the entire season, the heat-throwing Skubal – a lock to win the AL Cy Young Award – will start Game 5 for Detroit on Saturday in a fitting, winner-take-all finale of a see-saw AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians .

This backyard brawl goes far.

“I don’t think anyone thought this wouldn’t last five games,” said first-year Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who will start Matthew Boyd before loosening his bullpen. “It’s the way our season has been. It’s the way their season has been.”

It will be the second start in this series for Skubal, who pitched seven scoreless innings in Game 2, which the Tigers won 3-0 on Kerry Carpenter’s three-run homer in the ninth inning off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.

While inducing an inning-ending double play in the fifth inning to keep the game scoreless, Skubal didn’t hold back, shouting profanities at Cleveland’s raucous crowd as he walked toward the Detroit dugout.

A national TV audience read his lips. So did those closest to Skubal.

His mother, Laura, did not approve of his salty language and posted a message on social media to convey her disappointment.

“Tarik Daniel!!” she wroteusing Skubal’s middle name, a clear indication that he was in big trouble.

The moment was nothing new for Skubal, who has battled his emotions for years as an athlete and must learn to channel them in a more positive way.

As for Mama Skubal, the southpaw said she is someone who needs to talk.

“You should hear my mother growing up,” he said, smiling. ‘That’s interesting, she wants to make that comment. I’ve seen her ejected from many high school basketball games. So I think it might run in the family a bit.”

Skubal said his father is the same way.

“Genetics,” he shrugged.

The Tigers and Guardians were dealt a literal tradeoff on Friday by MLB, which, concerned about the potential for bad weather Saturday night, moved the first pitch from 8:08 p.m. to 1:08 p.m.

And while the seven o’clock change certainly caused fans to shake up their plans, the move from prime time to lunchtime didn’t seem to bother any of the players.

“We’ve had enough day games this year,” Cleveland rookie reliever Cade Smith said.

None are as big as this one, though, as the Tigers and Guardians look to advance to the ALCS and a matchup against the New York Yankees, who knocked off the Kansas City Royals in four games on Thursday and await their next AL Central opponent .

Detroit has made an unexpected trip to Game 5. On August 10, the Tigers were 55-63, playing some youngsters from the minors and appeared headed to a 10th straight postseason at home.

But they went 31-13 to end the regular season, defeated Houston in the wild-card round and are in a deadlock with the AL Central champions.

And while they couldn’t lock down the Guardians at home, they’ll get another chance — perhaps without slugger Kerry Carpenter, who hurt his hamstring in Game 4 — and this time with Skubal starting.

No pitcher in either league has been at or near his level in 2024. The 27-year-old led the AL in wins, ERA, strikeouts and hitters perplexed. The Tigers are 23-10 when he pitches.

His reign continues in the postseason as Skubal has not allowed a run in 13 innings while striking out 14. He hasn’t lost since August 2 – a stretch of 11 starts – and no runs have been scored in his last 24 innings overall.

“He likes to compete,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “He’s as excited about it as anyone I’ve ever put on the mound. There is no one better to pass the ball on in this game than Tarik.”

The Guardians only got three hits from him in Game 2.

“He just has it all,” Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges said. “He’s a unit on the mound. He has crazy deception. He throws 100 (mph). He has two different fastballs. It has a wipeout off speed. He is the ultimate competitor.

“He is every team’s dream to have as your top player. That guy is as good as it gets in our league.”

For the second time in the series, Skubal will face off against Boyd, his good friend and former Tigers teammate, who never imagined he would be in this situation. It was just a few months ago that Boyd wondered if he would ever pitch in the major leagues again after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.

He threw his driveway at home, on high school fields, wherever he could, hoping for another opportunity. The Guardians gave him one by signing him in July.

Just moments after Vogt told him he would get the ball for Game 5, Boyd was overwhelmed by the reality of pitching in Cleveland’s biggest game yet.

“Just gratitude,” Boyd said, unable to hold back tears. “All those days. You’re at the gym and this is what you dream about. This is what you want, and go do it. You’re excited about it, and that’s what you want. You dream about everything that leads to there.”

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