Tarik Skubal was good in his Dodgers debut, but Javier Assad was better.
The Chicago Cubs scored two runs off Skubal in six innings Tuesday in the ace’s first game since arriving at the trade deadline from the Detroit Tigers.
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It turned out to be enough for a win, as Chicago cruised to a 5-1 victory to spoil Skubal’s first game as a Dodger. The loss marked the fifth straight for the Dodgers, who got swept last weekend by the Boston Red Sox and lost Game 1 to the Cubs 10-5 on Monday at Wrigley Field.
With the spotlight squarely on Skubal, Assad allowed just four hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings against the vaunted Los Angeles lineup. Chicago’s bullpen then shut the Dodgers down the rest of the way as the Cubs bats piled on late against Dodgers relievers.
It added up to a satisfying night at Wrigley Field for Cubs fans, who showed up Tuesday ready to jeer the villainous visitors.
Skubal not dominant enough
Skubal cruised through the first two innings without allowing a baserunner. But in the third, Dansby Swanson put Chicago on the board with a first-pitch home run to match a solo shot by Kyle Tucker and tie the game 1-1.
Skubal got through two more clean frames in the fourth and fifth.
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But he allowed a one-out double to Alex Bregman in the sixth. And Bregman came home for the go-ahead run on a Nico Hoerner infield single.
Skubal stayed in to record the final out of the sixth inning. But his day was done after 86 pitches and the Cubs holding a 2-1 lead. His final line in his Dodgers debut: 6 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. And the loss.
It added up to a strong outing, but it wasn’t his two-time Cy Young stuff. And it wasn’t enough on a night when the Cubs’ pitching and hitting were better.
Assad, bullpen get the job done
Assad allowed a solo home run to Tucker in the second inning just as Chicago fans had finished jeering the former Cub, who defected to the Dodgers as a free agent last offseason.
But that was all the Dodgers would muster.
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With the game tied 1-1, Assad remained on the mound in the sixth inning to face the top of the Dodgers’ order a third time. Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff single for his first hit of the night but was thrown out on a double-play ball from Andy Pages.
Freddie Freeman then singled, and Assad’s night was done. But the Dodgers didn’t get another baserunner.
Ryan Rolison struck Max Muncy out for the third out of that inning. Rolison, Tyler Ferguson, Ryan Zeferjahn and Jacob Webb combined for 3 1/3 perfect innings out of the bullpen.
Dodgers in a battle to avoid wild-card round
When the night was done, the Dodgers had managed 1 run off 4 hits and 2 walks.
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They remain firmly in control of the NL West at 69-45, baseball’s second-best record. But they’re in the midst of their worst swoon of the season coming out of the trade deadline.
And they’re in a three-way battle with the Brewers (70-43) and Braves (68-45) for the top two seeds in the National League, both of which come with a first-round playoff bye.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Chicago spoke it into existence.
Tarik Skubal went 6 innings and gave up 2 earned runs off 4 hits. It was a solid outing but not good enough to stop the Dodgers’ five-game losing streak.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Pages. Freeman. Muncy.
One of ’em has to do something to help the Dodgers rally and avoid losing their second game at Wrigley this week.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
This wasn’t a chopper from Nico Hoerner.
The Cubs are in cruise control and offering fans at Wrigley more souvenirs.
Chicago 5, West Coast Evil Empire 1.
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Jason Owens
Trade deadline acquisition Ryan Zeferjahn pitched a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the eighth in his Cubs debut out of the bullpen. He ended the inning with a flyout from Shohei Ohtani.
Chicago takes a 4-1 lead to the bottom of the eighth, and the Dodgers are down to three outs.
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Jason Owens
Pete Crow-Armstrong stole second, and Seiya Suzuki hit a two-out single to score him from second for the second run of the seventh.
The Cubs leave the seventh inning with a 4-1 lead, and the Dodgers need a big rally without six outs remaining.
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Jason Owens
Alex Vesia’s night is over after two outs. Pete Crow-Armstrong scored Dansby Swanson from second with a two-out single, and the Cubs now hold a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh.
Evan Phillips is taking over out of the Dodgers bullpen.
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Jason Owens
Tarik Skubal will not get the win in his Dodgers debut.
Skubal’s day is done after six innings with the Cubs holding a 2-1 lead. It was a strong outing from the ace but not strong enough to leave the game with the lead.
Skubal’s final line in his first game with the Dodgers: 6 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.
Alex Vesia takes over in relief in the seventh.
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Jason Owens
Cubs relievers Ryan Rolison and Tyler Ferguson combined for a 1-2-3 top of the seventh to continue to quiet Dodgers bats. Chicago has a 2-1 lead and is six outs away from spoiling Tarik Skubal’s Dodgers debut.
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Jason Owens
Cubs fans loved this.
Alex Bregman hit a deep fly ball to right off Tarik Skubal that Kyle Tucker misplayed at the wall. The ball bounced off the hard Wrigley Field wall and back toward the infield, and Bregman reached second with a one-out double that put Seiya Suzuki on third.
Tommy Edman threw Suzuki out at home on a ground ball on the next at-bat, but Bregman scored on an infield hit by Nico Hoerner to give the Cubs a 2-1 advantage through six innings.
The Cubs have the lead late with a chance to spoil Tarik Skubal’s Dodgers debut. Skubal’s at 85 pitches through six innings.
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Jason Owens
Javier Assad got two outs in the top of the sixth, but his day is done after allowing a two-out single to Freddie Freeman.
In 5 2/3 innings, he allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 earned run with 3 strikeouts. It added up to a strong outing against a vaunted Dodgers lineup on a night when the attention was focused on Tarik Skubal.
Ryan Rolison came out of the bullpen to strike out Max Muncy and send the game to the bottom of the sixth inning in a 1-1 tie.
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Jason Owens
Tarik Skubal was not fazed by a shaky third inning. He has now set the Cubs down in order for two consecutive frames to maintain a 1-1 tie through five innings. And we officially have a pitchers’ duel.
Cubs starter Javier Assad will take the mound in the sixth to face the top of the Dodgers’ order for a third time.
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Jason Owens
Kyle Tucker’s got Javier Assad’s number, but no other Dodger can touch him.
After a second-inning home run, Tucker battled with Assad for seven pitches before roping a leadoff single to center field. But he got stranded at third to keep the game in a 1-1 tie.
Tucker’s two hits are the only of the night for the Dodgers through five innings.
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Jason Owens
After a shaky third inning, Tarik Skubal was back on his game in the fourth. He needed just six pitches to get through a quick bottom of the frame, and this game remains locked in a 1-1 tie.
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Jason Owens
Cubs starter Javier Assad is feeling it.
He just got through the heart of the Dodgers order without damage for the second time and leaves the top of the fourth in a 1-1 tie. Kyle Tucker’s second-inning solo shot remains the only hit the Dodgers have mustered through four innings.
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Jason Owens
Tarik Skubal allowed the leadoff home run to Dansby Swanson in the third, and it could have been worse.
He followed that with a single and stolen base allowed to Pete Crow-Armstrong and a walk of Seiya Suzuki. But he induced a third-out fly ball from Alex Bregman to end the inning and strand two Cubs runners.
The game is tied 1-1 after three.
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Jason Owens
Welp, there goes Tarik Skubal’s perfect start. Dansby Swanson launched Skubal’s first pitch of the third inning into the left-field bleachers, and the Cubs have tied the game at 1-1.
Skubal left a 97 mph fastball over the outside corner, and Swanson was sitting dead red.
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Jason Owens
Kyle Tucker’s home run remains the only hit allowed by Cubs starter Javier Assad. He got through the top of the third in order, including the second out for Shohei Ohtani in two at-bats.
A fly-out by Ohtani ended the frame, and the Cubs will look to get their first baserunner off Tarik Skubal in the bottom of the third.
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Jason Owens
Tarik Skubal is perfect through two innings. He struck out two Cubs batters in the second to ring up his tally to three for the game. Skubal has his best stuff early in his Dodgers debut.
The Dodgers take a 1-0 lead into the top of the third.
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Jason Owens
Tarik Skubal isn’t the only player feeling the ire of Cubs fans tonight.
Former Cub Kyle Tucker is back at Wrigley Field after leaving Chicago for the Dodgers last offseason. He was roundly booed when he took the plate in the second inning, then responded with a blast over the left-field wall for a 1-0 Dodgers lead.
The ball, of course, was promptly ejected from the Wrigley Field bleachers back onto the field. Tarik Skubal will take the mound in the bottom of the second with a 1-0 cushion.
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Jason Owens
A solid start for Tarik Skubal in his Dodgers debut.
Skubal started the bottom of the first inning with a strikeout of Pete Crow-Armstrong and sat down the Chicago side in order.
The Cubs and Dodgers head into the second inning in a scoreless tie.
