LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tarik Skubal expects to hear cheers instead of the usual boos when he takes the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday.
That's because the 29-year-old left-hander will be starting a postseason game at home for the first time in his career. His first six career playoff starts with the Detroit Tigers in 2024 and '25 all came on the road.
“I’m excited
for the opportunity to throw in front of the fans,” Skubal said. “I’m excited to get some cheers in there for us. I think it’s going to be a ton of fun in front of this atmosphere. Hopefully everyone is drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated. It’s going to be a hot one.”
And he's not talking about his own high heat.
Los Angeles is under an extreme heat warning that's expected to last into late next week. Saturday's high is forecast to hit 100 degrees (38 Celsius) at a time of year when the average temperature is 81 degrees (27 Celsius).
“You're going to drink a lot of water,” Skubal said.
He was chosen as the Game 1 starter over 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamato. The Braves had yet to name a starter.
Manager Dave Roberts informed Skubal last Sunday after his final regular-season start in San Francisco that he would get the ball for the NLDS opener.
“I don’t always get to deliver good messages, and that was a good one, a fun one,” Roberts said. “With this ballclub it’s an easy kind of thought that Yoshi would be the Game 1 starter, absolutely. So Tarik was very respectful of Yoshinobu, but we have thoughts on why we do things, and all these guys are all in for whatever we decide.”
In Detroit, Skubal had a career postseason record of 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA and 56 strikeouts.
The Dodgers acquired Skubal from the Tigers just ahead of the August trade deadline in exchange for three prospects. He's earning a record $32 million this season, won through arbitration while still with Detroit. He'll be an unrestricted free agent after the postseason.
He was warmly welcomed by Dodger fans in his home debut on Aug. 10.
“My first start here was really special to me,” Skubal said. “The ovation I got, I didn't even feel that well, and kind of just to get that reaction and get that kind of interaction with the fans, they've embraced me. I really appreciate that.”
He's spent the last couple months learning the catchers and getting to know his new teammates.
“Just getting more comfortable kind of in my own skin,” he said. “I think that matters and that stuff just takes time, especially when you make a big transition in the middle of the season. I feel confident with where I'm at.”
Landing Skubal had the rest of baseball grumbling that the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers were ruining the sport with their huge payroll and abundance of talent, led by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
“From top to bottom, they’re very much aligned with trying to win championships,” Skubal said. “Everybody’s got one goal at hand. I fit right in with that. Everything that I try to do is try to win as many baseball games as I can. I’m excited to start doing that in October.”
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