Tarik Skubal arrived in Game 1 of the NLCS with a lot riding on his left arm, and for the Los Angeles Dodgers, that was supposed to be the payoff. After paying the price to bring him in, the hope was simple: Skubal would tilt the series against the Milwaukee Brewers and help push LA toward a third straight World Series title.
That is not how Sunday played out.
Skubal was good, but not the separator the Dodgers were counting on. He went five innings, struck out seven, allowed five hits and two walks, and threw 81 pitches. Against Jacob Misirowski and a pair of offenses that were both struggling, that was enough to keep things competitive - not enough to seize control of Game 1.
The Dodgers had put themselves in position to expect more. Skubal was supposed to be the arm that turned a tight playoff game into a Dodgers advantage, especially with the offense seemingly having the presumptive National League Cy Young award winner on the ropes. Instead, the outing left a little to be desired, and it echoed the concern that has followed him before: he can dominate, but in a postseason game where a team needs him to empty the tank, he does not always fully meet that standard.
The price to get him said everything about how highly Los Angeles valued him. The Dodgers were willing to go further than any other team in trade discussions, while the Brewers backed away from Detroit’s asking price and reports over the weekend said the Atlanta Braves also had second thoughts about what a deal might have cost them. Headlining the package with Zyhir Hope was steep, but Los Angeles had the depth to do it, and even after the move the farm system remained one of the best in baseball.
That was the bet: Skubal as the multiplier, the player who could smooth out everything else that had gone wrong and make the road back to the World Series look a lot cleaner.
After Game 1, it does not look that simple. There is still time for Skubal to be the difference, but Sunday served as a reminder that even the best-laid plan can come with a sharp reality check.
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