The Los Angeles Dodgers started their homestand with a 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night, which notably marked Tarik Skubal’s home debut at Dodger Stadium.
The left-hander was inconsistent at times but did just enough to help the team get back in the win column. He allowed three runs on four hits and collected six strikeouts against two walks in five innings of work.
“Yeah, I just kind of sprayed the ball a little bit,” Skubal said after the game. “That’s kind of unusual for me, especially with fastball command and stuff like that. But I thought I competed well and gave our team a chance to win. Our offense picked me up big time, defense picked me up big time, and the bullpen was outstanding tonight.
“So all in all, a good team win, especially when I don’t feel like I performed up to my standards.”
Despite not having his best stuff, Skubal was impressed by the atmosphere at Dodger Stadium and praised Dodgers fans for their unwavering support during his home debut.
“Great environment. I mean, the fans were great,” Skubal said. “I don’t know how many this stadium holds, but it felt like there was 40 to 50,000 40 minutes before the game in their seats. When I walked out there, that’s so special. You appreciate it, the fan support. And it’s a Monday? Yeah, Monday night, so I appreciate that for sure.”
Dodgers react to Tarik Skubal’s home debut
Dave Roberts
Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that Skubal wasn’t in his usual dominant form against the Royals but commended him for battling through it and giving the Dodgers everything he had.
“Tarik didn’t have his best stuff,” Roberts said. “You could see the fastball command wasn’t there, but he didn’t relent. He kept going, and he gave us what he had for tonight.”
Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman overlooked some of Skubal’s inconsistencies against the Royals and is simply happy to have him on the Dodgers.
“Tarik Skubal, that’s nice to have him on our mound. I’m sure he wants to go deeper than five innings, but I like every five to six days that he’s going to be on the mound for us,” Freeman said.
Hunter Feduccia
Hunter Feduccia, who caught Skubal for the first time on Monday, thought Skubal was effective when he needed to be and felt they were in sync with each other.
“It was obviously my first time catching him,” Feduccia said. “I was very impressed by the arsenal and how he goes about hitters. I thought he looked great. He got into some deep counts right there and he executed, made some great pitches right there.
“So as we go, as the season goes, just getting to learn from him, being on the same page. For the most part, I thought we were on the same page. So I’m excited to get to work with him going forward.”
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