Tarik

Skubal

Not only did Skubal blank the Giants and reach double-digit strikeouts, he needed just 75 pitches to do it. The final tune-up before the playoff push couldn’t have gone much better, as he allowed just three hits — all singles — and didn’t issue a walk. Skubal will likely start Game 2 of the NLDS, but that’s more compliment to Yoshinobu Yamamoto than insult to him.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Skubal will start Friday’s series opener against the Giants. The 29-year-old fantasy ace draws an extremely favorable matchup against a borderline Triple-A lineup for his final regular-season outing. He’ll presumably get the ball after Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Los Angeles’ second playoff contest.

It’s an extremely favorable spot for fantasy purposes as the Giants are basically rolling out a glorified Triple-A lineup at this point of the season. Skubal has been away from the Dodgers on bereavement leave for the last few days. He’ll make his final regular-season start later this week.

He’ll be away from the team for a few days but isn’t expected to miss a start. Emmet Sheehan was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move on Sunday to add a fresh arm capable of working multiple innings to the Dodgers’ bullpen.

Skubal gave up eight hits, walked two and struck out three against a pretty awful lineup, but he got the dub anyway. It’s his first time allowing more than three runs in nine starts for the Dodgers. He’ll face the Giants again on Friday or Saturday.

Skubal gave up only three singles and walked one in his first scoreless start for the Dodgers. He’s 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA and a 45/7 K/BB in 39 innings over his last six starts. He’ll face the Giants next time out.

There are plenty of ifs here, especially given that there still appears to be a real chance there will be a salary cap. Passan also mentions that last time the MLB went into a lockout, there was a flurry of activity before the CBA expired. “A deal of that magnitude would presumably be for at least a decade -- the sort of commitment teams might balk at because of his age. But someone is going to pay an exorbitant amount for his services,” Passan writes.

Skubal had gotten through two scoreless frames against the Reds before Elly De La Cruz took him deep for a two-run blast in the third. He’d recover nicely, settling in to pitch into the eighth without allowing another run while collecting five strikeouts. The 29-year-old left-hander will take a 2.84 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 164/24 K/BB ratio across 139 2/3 innings into a start against the Reds in Cincinnati next Tuesday.

Dodgers analyst Jessica Mendoza believed Skubal was tipping his changeup tonight, so that might be something to look out for. Still, all 10 hits Skubal allowed were singles, and he more than held his own in ending up with six strikeouts and one walk. He’ll face the Reds next week.

Skubal did not want to exit the game, but coming off his two highest pitch counts of the year (109 versus Milwaukee and 106 against Pittsburgh), manager Dave Roberts pulled him from a 1-1 game after 83 pitches tonight. Skubal lowered his Dodgers’ ERA to 3.00 in five starts. He’ll probably take his next turn Thursday against the Cardinals.