Los Angeles: Tarik Skubal tossed six dominant innings in triple-digit heat as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all homered, powering the Dodgers' quest to become the first National League club to win three consecutive championships.
Skubal dominates despite the heat
The game-time temperature was 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) at the 1:08 pm start — just short of the Dodger Stadium record — with a feels-like temperature of 105. Umpires were seen chugging water between innings while fans shielded themselves with giveaway towels.
Skubal, acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the August 3 trade deadline, stayed cool throughout. The two-time Cy Young Award winner allowed one run on two hits with seven strikeouts and two walks over 94 pitches, in his first postseason start at home. His 63 strikeouts are the second-most in a pitcher's first seven postseason appearances, behind Bob Gibson's 74.
Homers supply all five runs
Hernandez opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the fourth off Victor Mederos, estimated at 431 feet. In the sixth, Tucker launched a two-run shot off AJ Smith-Shawver, and Muncy followed two batters later with a solo homer for a 5-1 lead.
Tucker finished 2-for-4 — a timely response after a career-worst regular season in the first year of his four-year, $240 million contract, in which he posted a .715 OPS.
Atlanta fought back late. Sean Murphy hit a 421-foot solo homer off Skubal in the sixth, and Ozzie Albies added a two-run shot in the ninth off Tanner Scott. But with the tying run at the plate and two outs, Evan Phillips induced Austin Riley to ground out to shortstop Mookie Betts to end it and earn the save.
The Braves managed only four hits. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, with an extreme heat warning still in effect.
Sources:
Reuters: Tarik Skubal pitches Dodgers past Braves in Game 1 of NLDS
Now Georgia: Dodgers beat the Braves 5-3 in NLDS opener (AP)
Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all homered, powering the Dodgers' quest to become the first National League club to win three consecutive championships.
Skubal dominates despite the heat
The game-time temperature was 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) at the 1:08 pm start — just short of the Dodger Stadium record — with a feels-like temperature of 105. Umpires were seen chugging water between innings while fans shielded themselves with giveaway towels.
Skubal, acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the August 3 trade deadline, stayed cool throughout. The two-time Cy Young Award winner allowed one run on two hits with seven strikeouts and two walks over 94 pitches, in his first postseason start at home. His 63 strikeouts are the second-most in a pitcher's first seven postseason appearances, behind Bob Gibson's 74.
Homers supply all five runs
Hernandez opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the fourth off Victor Mederos, estimated at 431 feet. In the sixth, Tucker launched a two-run shot off AJ Smith-Shawver, and Muncy followed two batters later with a solo homer for a 5-1 lead.
Tucker finished 2-for-4 — a timely response after a career-worst regular season in the first year of his four-year, $240 million contract, in which he posted a .715 OPS.
Atlanta fought back late. Sean Murphy hit a 421-foot solo homer off Skubal in the sixth, and Ozzie Albies added a two-run shot in the ninth off Tanner Scott. But with the tying run at the plate and two outs, Evan Phillips induced Austin Riley to ground out to shortstop Mookie Betts to end it and earn the save.
The Braves managed only four hits. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, with an extreme heat warning still in effect.
Sources:
Reuters: Tarik Skubal pitches Dodgers past Braves in Game 1 of NLDS
Now Georgia: Dodgers beat the Braves 5-3 in NLDS opener (AP)
