Tarik Skubal delivered a dominant start while Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages provided all the offense in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2-0 win.
The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their strong run against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, earning a 2-0 victory behind a dominant performance from Tarik Skubal and a pair of early home runs.
The Dodgers have now won six consecutive games against San Francisco and improved to 7-4 against the Giants this season, securing the season series for the fifth consecutive year.
Skubal once again showed why the Dodgers made him a major part of their plans for the stretch run.
Skubal solid for Dodgers
The left-hander allowed just three hits across 7.0 scoreless innings while striking out 10 and issuing no walks. It marked his fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season and his second since joining the Dodgers.
Friday was also Skubal’s 10th start with the Dodgers since arriving from the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 2. Skubal has now won each of his last three decisions while providing the Dodgers with a dependable presence in the rotation as the club prepares for the postseason.
The Dodgers gave him all the offense he needed in the second inning.
Teoscar Hernández opened the scoring with a solo home run, giving Los Angeles an early lead against Giants starter Yunior Marte. Andy Pages followed with another solo shot later in the inning, putting the Dodgers ahead 2-0.
Those two swings accounted for all of Los Angeles' offense, but the pitching staff made the advantage hold up.
Roki Sasaki took over for Skubal in the eighth and retired all three batters he faced, striking out two along the way. Tanner Scott then handled the ninth inning to secure his 24th save of the season.
Ohtani quiet on Friday night
The Dodgers also received a quiet night from Shohei Ohtani, who went hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts. It was his third game since returning from a 13-game stint on the Injured List because of right biceps discomfort.
While his season totals have been notably encouraging this season, at this point in the year, the Dodgers' main concern is how he feels at the plate. With the Dodgers entering the year with a chance to potentially three-peat, Ohtani will have to have a major impact on the offensive production side of things.
The Dodgers also gave Tommy Edman a scheduled day off as manager Dave Roberts continues to manage his regulars with the regular season nearing its conclusion.
With the postseason approaching, Friday provided another example of the Dodgers winning in different ways. Los Angeles will continue its series against San Francisco on Saturday, with Blake Snell scheduled to start against his former team.
