Cubs Spoil Skubal's Debut; Dodgers Drop Fifth Straight

All eyes across the baseball world were tuned into a buzzworthy day at the Friendly Confines. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who made the biggest splash at the deadline by acquiring Tarik Skubal, sent out the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner for his debut with the back-to-back World Series champions. 

Tuesday night also marked the first time that Skubal pitched against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. He was in for a rude awakening. The Cubs came away with a 5-1 win and handed the Dodgers their fifth straight loss and second consecutive series loss. 

"It felt like my Major League debut in terms of the nerves running through. But I think that’s all good stuff," Skubal said on his Dodgers debut via SportsNetLA. 

Adrenaline was high from the start for Skubal as he ticked up his fastball 1.3 mph higher than his season average in his first frame. He opened up his debut by striking out potential National League MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong on a 2-2 sinker, looking at the knees. 

He retired the first six Cubs he faced in order before Dansby Swanson ambushed Skubal’s first-pitch fastball for a solo shot that tied the game in the third inning. 

Skubal went on to retire the next seven batters following a Seiya Suzuki walk in the latter part of the third. The southpaw would go through a rough patch in the sixth, as his second walk issued to Suzuki and an Alex Bregman double put runners on second and third. 

With the infield in, Michael Busch would hit a grounder to Tommy Edman, who flipped it to newly placed backstop Ben Rortvedt on a high throw to home. Rortvedt placed the tag on the non-hesitant Suzuki and kept the game tied. 

Unfortunately for Skubal, Nico Hoerner chopped a ball that bounced up to the end of the Earth’s atmosphere and came down even slower. Edman was unable to make a play, and Chicago took their first lead of the game. 

That inning would prove to be Skubal’s last in his debut, stepping off the mound after recording a quality start of six innings, striking out six and walking two with two earned runs given up. 

"I probably should be a little better at first pitch strikes. And I think, especially second or third time through, I need to be better there," Skubal said. 

Offensively, the Dodgers were unable to get anything going. Kyle Tucker, who had been booed all series since he arrived back at Wrigley Field, put up two more hits in the loss on Tuesday, including the Dodgers' only run in the second via a solo shot. 

"I thought there were some good at-bats. Certainly, anytime we tried to create something, they [Cubs] got a ground ball double play," Dave Roberts said on SportsNetLA. 

With the loss, the Dodgers drop to a 69-45 record. 

"I don't know the answer on what's gotta give, but we've got to find a way to win a ball game," Roberts said. 

Los Angeles looks to avoid their second consecutive series sweep on Wednesday with Eric Lauer on the bump.