Skubal dominates in 100-degree heat as Dodgers take NLDS Game 1 vs. Braves
Tarik Skubal tossed six dominant innings in triple-digit heat as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Saturday, according to AP via www.thescore.com.
The game-time temperature was 100 degrees (38 Celsius), just short of the Dodger Stadium record of 103 degrees at Game 1 of the 2017 World Series. The feels-like temperature was 105 degrees.
Skubal was cool, though. He allowed one run and two hits, struck out seven and walked two while starting a postseason game at home for the first time in his career. His previous playoff starts were all on the road for the Detroit Tigers, who traded him to the two-time defending World Series champions just before the Aug. 3 deadline.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner's 63 strikeouts are the second-most in a pitcher's first seven postseason appearances, behind Bob Gibson's 74.
HOMERS BREAK IT OPEN
The Dodgers' lead came in pairs. Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy each homered, with Hernández and Tucker both launching two-run shots against the Braves' bullpen, per the source.
Hernández finished 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs. Tucker matched him nearly exactly: 2 for 4 with a run and two RBIs.
Atlanta's bullpen was stretched thin before this one even started. The Braves' rotation got upended during their three-game NL wild-card series win over Philadelphia, with the club using ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game, per the source.
The conditions made every swing harder. The game was played on a cloudless day, with umpires chugging water between innings and fans shielding their heads with giveaway towels.
Muncy's homer provided the final margin in the 5-3 win, giving the Dodgers a lead they would not surrender in the opener.
SLUMP BUSTERS
Hernández and Tucker both went through major slumps at the plate during the season, per the source. Yet in the opener, they produced nearly identical stat lines: each went 2 for 4, with Hernández scoring two runs and Tucker one, both driving in two.
Tucker had the worst regular season of his career after signing a $240-million, four-year deal with the Dodgers as a free agent. His offensive output sharply declined from his All-Star days with Houston and the Chicago Cubs, making his two-run homer against the Braves' bullpen a significant breakthrough.
Hernández stumbled through July and August before a swing fix sparked a September turnaround. That adjustment carried into October, as he matched Tucker's production in Game 1 with a two-run homer of his own.
The two sluggers combined for four RBIs, accounting for most of the Dodgers' scoring on a day when the heat made every at-bat a battle.
MANAGER AND PLAYER REACTIONS
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't mince words about what Skubal accomplished in the conditions. "To go through six in these conditions I thought was fantastic," Roberts said, "and I thought the bullpen did a fine job."
Skubal himself seemed to relish the challenge. "It was a ton of fun," he said. "I've got a lot of respect for the fans that came out and showed up today. It's not easy. It's 100 degrees. The sun was on us the entire game."
Hernández, whose two-run homer helped break the game open, pointed to the team's resilience amid a season full of obstacles. "We've been going through a lot this year, but we stayed together," Hernández said. "We have each other's back. We're going to continue to try to do our best and try to do our job so we can keep winning."
He also began to explain what drives him in those spots, per the AP report via www.thescore.com: "The bigger the moment," — though the rest of that quote is not in the source.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Game 2 at Dodger Stadium is Sunday evening, according to www.thescore.com, with an extreme heat warning still in effect. The Dodgers lead the best-of-five NL Division Series 1-0.
No starting pitchers have been named for Game 2, per the source. Atlanta's rotation picture was complicated by the Braves using ace Chris Sale in relief during their wild-card clincher against Philadelphia, which upended their pitching plans.
Skubal's six-inning outing marked his first postseason home start. The two-time Cy Young Award winner had made all his previous playoff appearances on the road with Detroit before the Tigers traded him to the two-time defending World Series champions before the Aug. 3 deadline.
The Dodgers will look to carry their momentum into another scorching afternoon, with conditions expected to remain brutal for both dugouts.
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