"Tarik Skubal's reaction says it all" - Fans in shock as Guardians' David Fry takes a brutal bunt off 99mph heater to his face

The Detroit Tigers' season-defining series against division rivals, the Cleveland Guardians, opened on Tuesday. However, the matchup witnessed a scary scene after Cleveland's David Fry was struck in the face by Tarik Skubal's fastball.

With runners on base in the sixth inning, Fry tried to bunt a 2-2 pitch from Skubal. But the designated hitter missed the ball and was struck by a 99mph fastball in the face.

Fry dropped to the ground instantly, holding his face, and Skubal took his cap off and looked the other way, fearing the worst, while Jose Ramirez at first base had his hands on his head.

Fans reacted to the brutal incident that silenced the crowd at Progressive Field.

"Skubal's reaction speaks volume," a fan wrote.

"Playoffs on the line or not, hitting a batter in the face, you should run up to the guy to see if it's ok," wrote another fan.

"Skubal's reaction sad it all. Reminds me of that one foul ball that Albert Almora Jr. hit in Houston," remembered a fan.

"This is a big game and the way Skubal reacted is truly incredible. The insane amount of sympathy he showed.. wow. Thank you - A Guardians fan."

"Praying he's okay bc that's just 99 straight off the face," wrote a concerned fan.

The Guardians designated hitter eventually got on his feet and left the field to a standing ovation from the crowd. Skubal and his teammates clapped for Fry as he made his way to the dugout.

Guardians claim series opener to tie Tigers in division race

Following David Fry's scary hit by pitch, the Guardians scored two runs in the inning to take a 3-2 lead. The visitors added another two runs in the seventh inning to stretch their lead.

The Guardians held on to win 5-2, claiming the series opener. With the win, Cleveland is tied with Detroit in first place for the AL Central and holds the tie-breaker over their division rivals.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash