In the game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Tarik Skubal made a successful debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching six effective innings against the Chicago Cubs. This was his first start since being acquired in a trade from Detroit on Saturday. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was booed by the crowd when he took the mound, but it didn't affect his performance.
Skubal retired the first six batters and struck out three. He gave up a leadoff home run to Dansby Swanson on his first pitch in the third inning, but remained steady otherwise. In the sixth, he allowed a second run on Nico Hoerner's infield chopper, putting his team behind 1:2. Overall, he struck out six, walked two, and threw 85 pitches, 51 for strikes.
The Dodgers' defense also impressed. Andy Pages made spectacular catches on hits by Seiya Suzuki and Pedro Ramírez, and Kyle Tucker made a lunging grab on Nico Hoerner's sinking liner in the second. Los Angeles hopes Skubal can help them win their third consecutive World Series title. In his last six starts for the Tigers, the left-hander went 4-1 with a 1.95 ERA, striking out 50 in 37 innings.
"He just does everything right," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "I've vetted him a lot with coaches and players. In between the lines, he's a dog. Outside the lines, he's humble, respectful, does and says the right things. We're fortunate he's pitching for us."
Skubal's arrival has made the Dodgers the most imposing franchise in the majors and a target for fans of other teams. Hours before his first start, a plane flew over Wrigley Field with a banner reading "THE DODGERS RUINED BASEBALL," but the message appeared upside down.
"I don't really sympathize with people that blame the Dodgers for anything they've done," Skubal said Monday. "They've developed a really good organization. They draft well, acquire talent really well, retain talent. It's a winning organization."