Left-hander Tarik Skubal will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Atlanta Braves, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Friday. Skubal takes the mound for the series opener following a regular-season finish where he posted a 2.61 ERA across 10 starts with Los Angeles after arriving from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.
The Bench Meeting That Delivered Game 1 News
Instead, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts met him in the dugout with a handshake and delivered the assignment. “Prepárate para el primer partido,” Roberts told him, setting up the left-hander for the postseason opener. The team made the decision official on Friday, scheduling the first pitch for 1:00 p.m. local time on Saturday. Skubal acknowledged the weight of the assignment after joining the club mid-season from Detroit. “It’s an honor and a privilege to get the Game 1 nod and have the trust of the coaching staff, my teammates, and the organization to take the ball, go out there, and do everything I can to put our team in a position to win,” Skubal said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Postseason Experience and the Heat in Los Angeles
Skubal brings prior playoff history to the matchup, having made three postseason starts in each of the last two years with the Detroit Tigers, all on the road. “When I go out there in a playoff game, I usually get booed a lot,” Skubal said. “So I’m looking forward to getting some cheers. And pitching at home… I think it’s going to be a lot of fun with this atmosphere.” Weather forecasts for Saturday predict temperatures reaching 100 degrees at Dodger Stadium. “I hope everyone drinks a lot of water and stays hydrated. It’s going to be really hot,” Skubal said. In his final regular-season appearance, Skubal held the San Francisco Giants to three hits over seven efficient frames before the team’s postseason pitching plan brought his night to a close.
Rotation Decisions Behind the Top Pitching Staff
Choosing Skubal for the opener meant bypassing right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 1, a dynamic Roberts addressed in the dugout. “I loved delivering that message,” Roberts said. “I don’t always get to give good news, and this was a good one, a fun one. And he took it very well because, obviously, on this club, you can think that [Yoshinobu Yamamoto] would be the Game 1 starter, hands down. So Tarik was very respectful of Yoshinobu, but we have our reasons for doing things the way we do them, and all these guys are fully committed to whatever decision we make.” While the full rotation sequence remains fluid, Blake Snell and Yamamoto are expected to pitch Games 2 and 3. Yamamoto threw to hitters during Wednesday’s workout, putting him on track for a Tuesday start in Atlanta if he takes his customary five days of rest. Roberts noted that having four capable starters gives the front office options, contrasting with the Atlanta Braves’ recent bullpen usage of ace Chris Sale during their Wild Card series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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