Coming into the season Tarik Skubal was widely considered a potential breakout candidate, and the Detroit Tigers left-hander was a popular pick to win the American League Cy Young Award.

He’s done nothing but live up to the hype since, and Saturday he put the Red Sox through the ringer.

Facing perhaps the best pitcher they’ll see all season, the Red Sox were no match for the Detroit Tigers ace, managing only a solo home run in an otherwise thorough 2-1 defeat.

The loss ensures the Red Sox will remain at least 3.5 games below the playoff cutline entering Sunday.

“He’s probably the best pitcher in the American League right now,” manager Alex Cora said. “This guy, we saw him in spring training and we knew he was going to have a big year, and that was a statement game for him. He should probably win the Cy Young.”

Boston got the upper hand on Skubal early when Tyler O’Neill hit a solo home run in the top of the first. The shot was O’Neill’s 25th of the season and gave Boston a 1-0 lead, but the Cy Young favorite quickly turned the page and smothered the Red Sox from there.

Starting with two outs in the top of the first after O’Neill’s home run, Skubal faced two batters over the minimum through the end of the eighth inning. He allowed a single in the second to Romy Gonzalez, who was immediately thrown out trying to take second, and in the third he committed his only other real miscue, allowing a single to Jarren Duran and throwing the ball away, allowing the speedy Red Sox outfielder to take second.

There was also a single to Connor Wong in the fifth, who was quickly erased by a double play, and Duran reached on an error by the shortstop in the sixth. Beyond that, Skubal looked every bit like the pitcher who is widely considered the favorite to earn his first career Cy Young.

The 27-year-old lefty finished with one run allowed on four hits and no walks over eight innings. He also struck out eight, becoming the first pitcher in the majors to record 200 strikeouts on the season.

With Skubal pitching as well as he did, the Red Sox needed a special night from Nick Pivetta.

Pivetta certainly pitched well enough to give the Red Sox a chance. He allowed two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings, striking out six while drawing 12 whiffs. All of Detroit’s damage came in the bottom of the second, when Spencer Torkelson singled, Zach McKinstry doubled and then Trey Sweeney drove in both with a two-run double to make it 2-1.

Though they weren’t charged with any errors, the Red Sox defense didn’t do Pivetta any favors during that stretch, and Rob Refsnyder couldn’t handle a high fly ball on Sweeney’s decisive double that ultimately meant the difference in the game.

“Going back and the ball took off and he just missed it,” Cora said.

Once Skubal had the lead there wasn’t much more Pivetta or any Red Sox pitcher could have done.

After Pivetta was done the Red Sox bullpen did enjoy a solid bounce back from Friday’s roller coaster performance. Greg Weissert and Rich Hill combined to throw a scoreless seventh, picking off two Detroit runners on the base paths in the process, and Hill followed that with a perfect eighth to give him 2.2 scoreless innings since his return to the majors earlier this week.

That kept it a one-run game going into the top of the ninth, but while Duran made things interesting for a moment with a deep fly ball that ultimately curled just foul, Tigers left-hander Tyler Holton was able to close the door for his sixth save of the season.

With the loss Boston falls to 70-66 overall and finishes the month of August 13-15. The Red Sox have now posted a losing August record in five consecutive seasons, and the club will go into September with a nearly identical record as last year, when they were 69-65 entering Sept. 1.

The good news is the Red Sox starters have continued to pitch well, and dating back to Tuesday they’ve now allowed only five earned runs in their last 30 innings, good for a 1.50 ERA.

“If we keep pitching this way we’ll be fine,” Cora said.

Boston will look to get back on track Sunday in the series finale. Cooper Criswell (5-4, 4.34) will start for the Red Sox, and first pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m.

Report: Shugart, Valdez called up

According to MLB.com’s Ian Browne, the Red Sox are promoting infielder Enmanuel Valdez and right-hander Chase Shugart as the club’s two September call-ups.

Valdez has batted .224 with six home runs and 27 RBI in 60 big league games this season. The infielder will likely serve primarily as a pinch hitter against right-handed pitchers, a role in which he’s thrived, going 4 for 7 with a walk, two doubles and four RBI in eight pinch hit plate appearances.

Shugart made his MLB debut in mid-August and has appeared in one game with the Red Sox so far, allowing one run over 2.2 innings in Boston’s Aug. 15 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.