Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal Makes Impressive Debut Amid Season-Long Losing Streak

The highly anticipated debut of Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers’ recent acquisition, took place against playoff-caliber competition in the Cubs. The Cubs, who entered the game with a 64-49 overall record and held onto the top NL Wild Card spot, ultimately emerged victorious with a 5-1 win, sending the Dodgers to a season-high five-game losing streak.

Skubal, despite taking the loss, showcased a solid outing, giving up two earned runs on four hits in six innings with six strikeouts and two walks. He demonstrated an impressive ability to overpower hitters and receive good outfield defense, particularly when he froze Pete Crow-Armstrong to strike out the first batter he faced as a Dodgers pitcher.

The first run allowed was a solo home run from Dansby Swanson, which was an unchallenged shot. With 17 home runs to his name this season, Swanson’s solo homer was a testament to the favorable conditions for a home run or two on this night.

The second run is more difficult to place at Skubal’s feet. As he struck out Crow-Armstrong to begin the sixth, Seiya Suzuki drew a walk, and Alex Bregman then hit a deep fly to right field that could have been caught going into the wall, but Kyle Tucker missed it. This play was not ruled an error, as Tucker whiffed on it.

With runners on second and third, Skubal got two consecutive grounders. One ended with Suzuki being thrown out at home, while the next was a ball that bounced absurdly high, getting over Skubal’s head and hanging there long enough for an infield hit to plate the go-ahead run for the Cubs.

Skubal’s performance was marked by his ability to limit hard-hitting balls to just two, the Swanson homer and Bregman’s double. The other hits were a Crow-Armstrong single to right and the Hoerner infield job.

This was a solid Dodgers debut for Skubal, even if we cannot call it dominant. He managed to get 13 whiffs on 43 swings, escaped a jam in the third, and nearly got out of one in the sixth.

The biggest problem for Skubal was the lack of offensive support. Tucker homered in the second, but that was it while Skubal was in the game. Cubs starter Javier Assad navigated traffic a few times but got two double plays from his excellent infield and pitched very well.

The Cubs would go on to add two more runs in the seventh with a Swanson double coming before a Crow-Armstrong single. Crow-Armstrong would then steal second before Suzuki drove him home. Meanwhile, the Cubs’ bullpen held the Dodgers’ offense in check, including a spotless eighth from newly acquired Ryan Zeferjahn. Hoerner then went deep in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-1.

The biggest takeaways from the Dodgers’ perspective are that Skubal generally looked very good overall, there’s a little room for improvement, and the rest of the team could have played better. They’ve now lost five straight games and are 10-14 since July 3.

Key Statistics:

• Skubal gave up two earned runs on four hits in six innings with six strikeouts and two walks.
• Swanson hit his 17th home run of the year.
• The Cubs’ bullpen held the Dodgers’ offense in check, including a spotless eighth from Ryan Zeferjahn.