The Dodgers needed a vibe check on Monday.
And they were hoping Tarik Skubal could lift the gloom that has accompanied their season-worst slump over the last couple of weeks.
Despite the team losing eight of nine games entering their series-opener against the Kansas City Royals on Monday, Skubal’s scheduled home debut with the organization had already shifted the mood before first pitch.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts between batters during the first inning. AP Photo/Caroline Brehman
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described a “buzz in the clubhouse” that started with Skubal’s “positive energy and focus.”
“It’s gonna be an electric night,” the manager predicted.
And even before first pitch, the atmosphere was starting to build in the stands.
Just nine days removed from the blockbuster trade deadline deal that brought him from the Tigers to the Dodgers, Skubal’s mere presence instantly energized Chavez Ravine pregame.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during the first inning. AP Photo/Caroline Brehman
He got an ovation when he emerged from the dugout to begin his pregame warm-up, then several more as he traversed from the outfield to the left-field bullpen.
Skubal certainly isn’t the first star player to make a high-profile debut at Dodger Stadium in recent years. But given the team’s current struggles, and his distinguished track record as a reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner, his first home game in Los Angeles nonetheless felt like a unique occasion.
Entering the game, Roberts could sense Skubal’s own anticipation for the moment, after he was booed throughout a six-inning, two-run start at Wrigley Field last week.
“I think with great players, there’s very few things that are new to them, and kind of get the nerviness or excitement or whatever you want to call it in them,” Roberts said. “And I think that making his first appearance in a home jersey at Dodger Stadium is doing that to Tarik.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) makes a pitch during the first inning. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Roberts also said he would be willing to push Skubal more than he did in that first start, when he removed the left-hander after just 85 pitches.
“We got the first one [of his starts] with us under our belt,” Roberts said. “So I think for me, I feel like letting him go a little bit longer … We’re gonna watch intently, but I feel giving him a little more leash.”
Though he has only managed Skubal for a little more than a week, Roberts also heaped mountains of praise upon the 29-year-old ace, who will be a free agent at the end of this season.
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“This guy, he’s as different as anyone I’ve ever been around in this short period of time,” Roberts said. “He’s special in every way.”
How so?
“He’s just, he’s built differently,” Roberts answered. “The mind, the body, the focus, the humility, the teammate, the willingness to serve, to help. He puts himself out there. He’s different than any player I’ve ever been around. Really, really. And this is again, it’s a small sample, but I’ve dug in on him. I got a pretty good gut. This guy is something like I’ve never seen.”
The Dodgers are certainly hoping so.
They might not have had a clear rotation need when they acquired Skubal for three prospects last week.
But suddenly, they found themselves needing him to help snap their recent skid, and turn his much-hyped home debut into a performance worth remembering.
“He’s on a mission,” Roberts said. “Very excited to get to know him more and be around him, watch him compete, see what makes him tick. But you draw up a pitcher, a teammate –– he’s special.”
