With Tarik Skubal dominant performance Saturday and Blake Snell getting the start on Sunday for Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have an abundance of riches in their rotation.
More than just a pair of talented pitchers, though, the two have become fast friends since Skubal joined the Dodgers just ahead of the trade deadline.
That relationship is paying dividends on and off the field.
‘Two of the best pitchers’
Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez asked Dave Roberts what it’s been like to see the two star pitchers grow close.
Roberts said that while “it’s great” to see them becoming friends, it’s also benefiting the team.
“I think that they’ve kind of forged their own relationship,” Roberts said. “There’s a sharing of trade secrets. They’re two of the best pitchers, not only left handed pitchers, but pitchers in the game. So, how they talk about attacking hitters, what makes them good, I think that only sharpens the knife. It’s fun to watch their back and forth and how their relationship has really blossomed.”
It’s a scary thought for opponents that two two-time Cy Young winners could be making each other even better, but that’s exactly what’s happening.
Fans, though, seem to be enjoying their off-the-field relationship just as much as the winning on the field.
How good of friends are Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell?
Dodgers fans have been eating up the blossoming bromance.
Skubal and Snell have adopted a relationship reminiscent of the Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly movie “Step Brothers,” in which two adult male step brothers, who are initially cold and competitive with each other, grow into family.
Snell and Skubal, oftentimes with fellow ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, post captions on social media from the film, including quips like “did we just become best friends?”
The highlight of the friendship, though, might be their joining in on a recent online trend involving Quavo and Takeoff’s performance of their song “Hotel Lobby” on A COLORS SHOW.
Quavo and the late Takeoff, both former members of the Migos, were family, as Quavo was Takeoff’s uncle.
The pair also were, of course, good friends and professional collaborators.
An an AI-generated video posted to social media, Snell is depicted as Takeoff, while Skubal, with an intricate hairdo, appears as Quavo as the two perform the hit song.
After Saturday’s performance, Skubal can take a couple of days to work on his dance moves before he gets set to pitch again — ideally, in the NL Championship Series.
Snell, meanwhile, needs to get ready to start Sunday’s Game 2.
If he can match his friend’s performance, the Dodgers will be in the driver’s seat as this series heads to Atlanta.
