Skubal allows leadoff homer, throws 41 pitches in WBC start - ESPN

Great Britain's Nate Eaton greeted Team USA's Tarik Skubal with a home run to lead off the game Saturday night, as the defending American League Cy Young Award winner made his only start of the World Baseball Classic in Houston.

Eaton, 29, an infielder and outfielder for the Boston Red Sox who had just one home run and four RBIs last season, took the game's first pitch to deep left-center field to give Britain a 1-0 lead before Skubal retired Jazz Chisholm Jr., Harry Ford and B.J. Murray to end the inning. Skubal threw 12 of his allotted 55 pitches for the start in that frame, nine of which were strikes.

In the second inning, Skubal continued to settle, retiring the side in order on 12 pitches. He struck out Justin Wylie to end the inning. In his third and final inning, Skubal struck out three, allowing only Eaton to reach on an infield single.

«Unbelievable stuff, bottom line, 98 miles per hour, devastating changeup, slider,» Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said in his dugout interview on the Fox broadcast during the third inning. «But that will be it for him.»

Skubal allowed two hits on 41 pitches, 30 of them resulting in strikes, in his outing. He struck out five and walked none before being removed. Clay Holmes, a starter for the New York Mets, replaced him to start the fourth inning with Britain leading 1-0.

«It was a first-pitch fastball, and he went out and got it,» Skubal said of Eaton in his dugout interview on Fox. «We wouldn't be talking about it if he missed it. I was just getting to my pitches, and the results were the results after that.»

Skubal was asked about the differences between pitching for Team USA and the Tigers.

«This is a great atmosphere. My legs were a little light there early in the game, and