While the Los Angeles Dodgers have struggled to maintain consistent offensive production amidst a rash of injuries, Gavin Lux has emerged as a steady contributor in the second half.
Lux earned National League Player of the Week honors out of the All-Star break and continued his hot hitting into August. On Saturday that entailed going 2-for-4 with three RBI in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win over Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“He’s got really good stuff. In those situations with guys on base, you don’t want to wait around and get to two strikes, where you’ve got to battle with three really good pitches,” Lux said of his approach against Skenes.
“Just tried to get a good pitch to hit and move it forward. I just got a couple pitches I could handle. He’s got really good stuff. There’s a reason why he’s so electric. His stuff is really good.”
Lux’s RBI double in the first inning broke a scoreless tie and his two-run base hit in the third extended the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0.
“I think every at-bat is important, whether it’s against a mop-up guy or the Paul Skenes of the world. But yeah, I think there’s a little extra adrenaline in there when you’re facing a guy that has that good of stuff,” Lux said.
“We’re all competitors, so I think there’s a little extra something there, for sure.”
The four runs Skenes allowed are his most this season. Prior to his outing at Dodger Stadium, Skenes had not given up more than three runs in a start.
The three-RBI game was Lux’s 10th of his career and first since Aug. 30, 2022.
Gavin Lux more confident against Paul Skenes
When the Dodgers faced Skenes at PNC Park on June 5, he allowed three runs and finished with eight strikeouts over five innings. Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages hit home runs off the Pirates’ rookie in his fifth career start, and Lux went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in their head-to-head at-bts.
“Second time you see a guy, hopefully you see him better than the first time. Also, he made really good pitches that first time we played him and didn’t give much to hit,” Lux recalled.
“Think tonight, just got a couple more pitches out over the plate and moved them forward. But I think just better frame of mind, more confidence and more at-bats.”
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