I don't write the script,” Matthew Boyd said, “but the person who does is really good at it.” Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize vs. Boyd in friends to foes.

On his way to becoming one of baseball's best pitchers, Detroit's unquestioned ace and the AL's next Cy Young Award winner, Tarik Skubal crossed paths with a veteran pitcher — another lefty — who took him under his wing.

Baseball has a way. This game can loosen ends and tie them back together. It can create storylines, dismantle them, and then bring a plot full circle. The sport unites and divides and connects again.