SAN FRANCISCO — It didn’t matter that Tarik Skubal’s heater zipped across the middle of the plate, belt high to San Francisco Giants rookie Bo Davidson. The Dodgers’ left-hander had been unhittable all inning, and the 100-mph fastball he reached back for to end the fourth was no exception.
It was just the third time Skubal had touched 100 mph all season, and Davidson waved at the pitch, falling to the same fate as his teammates before him, as Skubal struck out the side in order.
Skubal’s final regular-season tuneup, in the Dodgers’ 2-0 win on Friday, went swimmingly. In an efficient seven scoreless innings, Skubal threw just 75 pitches.
That gem brought Skubal’s regular-season ERA to 2.72, and 2.61 since the Dodgers (98-62) acquired him from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.
Teoscar Hernández is showered in sunflower seeds after hitting a home run against the Giants in the second inning Friday.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
At the time, his addition looked like a luxury for a team that already boasted one of the best rotations in the majors, assuming two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani would eventually return to the mound.
When he didn’t, instead landing on the injured list for two weeks, Skubal’s smooth transition turned what could have been a shock wave of a loss for the rotation into barely a tremor.
Even without Ohtani, the Dodgers’ projected postseason rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow is still drawing comparisons to the ‘90s Atlanta Braves.
Next, they’ll test that association under postseason conditions. Skubal’s outing Friday sent him into the first-round bye on a high note.
Skubal only gave up three hits, all singles, one of which third baseman Max Muncy knocked down the line before the soft grounder could leave the infield in the seventh inning. Skubal retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani takes the field at the start on Friday’s game against the Giants.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
In all, Skubal recorded 10 strikeouts, reaching double digits for the fourth time this season.
Roki Sasaki — continuing to log innings in relief in preparation for his postseason role — threw a perfect eighth. Tanner Scott retired the side in the ninth to record the save.
The Dodgers’ offense came via the long ball. Teoscar Hernández continued his red-hot September with a solo home run in the second inning, his fifth homer in a month. Andy Pages followed two batters later with a home run, his first since coming off the injured list this week.
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