Tigers' reliever Will Vest compared the Cy Young contenders matchup to watching Pedro Martinez face Roger Clemens.

While the winner won't automatically earn the Cy Young, it would be a great boost to their candidacy. But in Skubal's ideal world, he wouldn't have to face Brown, as he wishes that Brown were suiting up for the Tigers instead of pitching against them.

DETROIT — Somewhere in the blur of a white-knuckle pitching duel, Will Vest looked at teammates in the Detroit Tigers bullpen and made a joke. “Actually,” Vest said later, “not really a joke.”