Facing a reigning Cy Young winner is never an easy task, and the Boston Red Sox learned that lesson firsthand Saturday at Fenway Park. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal delivered a masterclass, striking out 10 batters over six dominant innings to lead his team to a 4-1 victory.

The Red Sox offense, which has scuffled at times this season, had no answer for Skubal's electric stuff. The left-hander was nearly untouchable early, holding Boston hitless through the first four innings while racking up eight strikeouts. While the Sox eventually scratched across a run, the heart of the order—specifically Willson Contreras and Trevor Story—combined to go 0-for-6 with six strikeouts against the Tigers' star.

With Skubal dealing, the pressure was on Red Sox starter Brayan Bello to match him pitch-for-pitch. Unfortunately, Bello never found his rhythm. A laborious, 35-pitch first inning resulted in a bases-loaded walk and an early 1-0 deficit. The real damage came in the third, when Bello surrendered four more runs, including a two-run homer to Kerry Carpenter, before being pulled from the game.

This outing continues a concerning trend for Bello, who has now failed to complete five innings in three of his four starts this season. After a strong 2023 campaign, the young right-hander has struggled to find consistency in the early going, putting additional strain on a Red Sox team searching for momentum.

Boston did have a golden opportunity to claw back into the game in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs against Skubal. But the Cy Young winner dug deep, escaping the jam and extinguishing the Red Sox's best chance at a rally. In the end, it was a day defined by a superstar pitcher at the top of his game and a home team searching for answers at the plate and on the mound.