Los Angeles Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal had his best outing since the trade, but he is still searching for the perfect start.
Skubal is a pitcher who can dominate another team and leave them with no answers or adjustments.
During his first three starts with the Dodgers, Skubal showed flashes of that dominance, but it wasn’t as overpowering as his stuff can really be.
On Saturday, after the second inning, Skubal was unhittable and had the Pirates hitters at his mercy, more than deserving of his first win as a Dodger.
On the day, he totaled 11 strikeouts, retiring 18 of his last 19 batters, allowing just three hard hits and a walk.
He had 23 whiffs on 58 swings, with another 16 called strikes. His slider unlocked his changeup and fastball on the day, giving him three legit putaway pitches.
On all of his pitches, the velocity was higher than the season average, and he showed extreme velocity control.
However, he still allowed three earned runs despite the Pirates looking helpless, mainly due to his start, and he still has much to improve.
What Skubal is going to change
In the first inning, he allowed three runs on three hits, two hard-hit balls. He had a shaky second inning that he managed to strand two base runners.
It didn’t look like he was going to make an impression at first, but he flipped the script and competed, something he wants to do from the start.
“I was talking to (pitching coach) Mark (Prior) about that today,” Skubal said. “Early in games, I might just be trying to feel it out too much instead of just competing with what I got in that moment.
“That’s something that I need to make a change for. Instead of trying to command the ball early, maybe just go out there and compete with what I got and then the adjustments will happen naturally.
“Early in games, my stuff should be more crisp than it is. I think it’s just about competing early in games instead of trying to find a feel for things. Just go out there and compete.”
If Skubal had a clean first two innings, this would be a peak Skubal start; that is how well he pitched once he got his command in a good spot.
He is still trying to be a bit too perfect command-wise. Skubal is close to showing why he had so much hoopla at the deadline and that he can carry a team in the postseason.
