Los Angeles Dodgers fans packed Dodger Stadium for left-hander Tarik Skubal’s first home appearance as a Dodger on Monday.
Dodger Stadium greeted Skubal with a roaring ovation as he walked onto the field for the top of the first inning, and kept the same energy all night as the Dodgers took a 6-5 win in a closely contested game.
“Great environment,” Skubal said. “The fans, they were great. Felt like, I don’t know how many this stadium holds, but it felt like there was 40-50,000 [fans] 40 minutes before the game in their seats.
“When I walked out there, it was so special, and you appreciate it—the fan support. …Monday night, you know, so I appreciate that for sure.”
Skubal didn’t have his best stuff in Monday’s win, allowing three earned runs through five innings pitched while striking out six batters, but he did enough to help the Dodgers on their way to just their second win of the month. Prior to the beginning of their seven-game home stand Monday, the Dodgers had lost eight of their last nine games, shrinking their lead in the NL West to just 7.5 games.
After falling to an early 3-0 deficit, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman both drove in runs before Max Muncy came through on his bobblehead night with a three-run double to make the score 5-3. The Royals eventually tied the game, but Freeman came through once again to bring home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.
How Has Skubal Performed For the Dodgers?
Monday marked Skubal’s second start as a Dodgers, and while he hasn’t performed at his peak since moving to the West Coast, he has been pretty solid through two appearances.
He went six innings in his first start as a Dodger against the Chicago Cubs, allowing two earned runs while striking out six in an eventual loss. After Monday’s performance on the mound, Skubal has a 4.09 ERA as a Dodger, allowing five runs across 11 innings while striking out 12 batters.
Skubal will look to make his mark in his next start, which comes against the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. Before then, though, the Dodgers will look to gain some momentum by winning a series against the Royals. They have the opportunity to seize their first series win of the month in Tuesday’s game, which begins at 7:10 p.m. PT.
