The Los Angeles Dodgers are rolling out starting pitcher Tarik Skubal on Sunday, Oct. 11th, for Game 1 of the NLCS, and he is relishing the pressure to pitch well.
Skubal’s killer mentality
Skubal takes the ball in Game 1, sets the tone for the Dodgers in the series, and carries the responsibility of facing the best team in baseball: the Milwaukee Brewers.
LA is just four wins away from the World Series and a shot at three-peating, and Skubal gets the first crack at setting the team up to win.
Rather than it affecting him, he is enjoying everything that comes with steering this current Dodgers team to success.
“The pressure surrounding the Dodgers is a privilege. As an athlete, this is what you want to be and you want to have an expectation to win,” Skubal said to Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez and media.
“I have those same expectations as a player and in my shoes, I think just keeping the game the game, going out there and competing and doing what I can to put my team in a position to win is important.”
Why this bodes well for the Dodgers
The Dodgers will face Milwaukee’s best in Jacob Misiorowski, a flame-throwing righty who sparks serious fear in hitters.
Any game he pitches will be tricky to win, since he can be pushed to 6 or 7 innings if needed.
However, after throwing a career-high in innings and pushing himself to likely earn the Cy Young award, the Dodgers might get a version of “The Miz” who may not be at full strength.
In Game 1 against the San Diego Padres, Misiorowski lasted just four innings, walking a batter and allowing four hits and two runs.
He still struck out six hitters, and his fastball continues to light up the radar gun, but the Dodgers may have the pitching edge if Skubal does come out aggressively.
The southpaw can shut down any offense on a given night, and his best effort will make the Dodgers a live threat to steal a road win.
