Dave Roberts sees more than a rotation advantage when he looks at Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell. He sees two elite arms feeding off each other, and he thinks that connection is helping the Dodgers in ways that go beyond the box score.
After Skubal’s dominant outing Saturday and with Snell lined up to start Sunday’s Game 2 of the National League Division Series, Los Angeles is already sitting on a rare kind of pitching wealth. But Roberts made it clear that the bond between the two left-handers has become part of the story, too.
Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez asked Roberts about watching the two pitchers grow close, and the manager said the relationship has taken on a life of its own.
“I think that they’ve kind of forged their own relationship,” Roberts said. “There’s a sharing of trade secrets.
They’re two of the best pitchers, not only left handed pitchers, but pitchers in the game. So, how they talk about attacking hitters, what makes them good, I think that only sharpens the knife.
It’s fun to watch their back and forth and how their relationship has really blossomed.”
That kind of exchange is a problem for everyone else. Two two-time Cy Young winners helping each other get even sharper is a pretty unsettling thought for opposing hitters, but it’s exactly the kind of dynamic the Dodgers appear to be benefiting from right now.
The off-field chemistry has also caught on with fans, who seem to be enjoying the pairing almost as much as the performances on the mound.
Skubal and Snell have leaned into a social-media friendship that has taken on a “Step Brothers” flavor, with the two - and often Yoshinobu Yamamoto as well - posting captions inspired by the movie, including the line, “did we just become best friends?”
One of the biggest hits with fans has been their participation in a recent online trend tied to Quavo and Takeoff’s performance of “Hotel Lobby” on A COLORS SHOW.
An AI-generated video posted to social media showed Snell as Takeoff and Skubal, with an intricate hairdo, as Quavo while the pair performed the song.
Quavo and the late Takeoff were family - Quavo was Takeoff’s uncle - and the two were also close friends and collaborators.
For now, Skubal gets a couple of days to keep his dance moves in check before he’s expected to pitch again, ideally in the NL Championship Series. Snell, meanwhile, has the immediate task of taking the ball Sunday in Game 2.
If he matches what Skubal did Saturday, the Dodgers will be in a strong position as the series moves to Atlanta.
In Other News...
Dodgers Double Down On A Risky NLDS Plan Against Atlanta
The Dodgers are leaning into a familiar postseason idea against Atlanta by putting Blake Snell in line to start Game 2 of the NLDS, a move that fits neatly with the clubs preference for attacking a lineup that has shown trouble against left-handed pitching. Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior have both framed the series around that matchup edge, and the decision underscores how much Los Angeles values Snell even after a season shaped by injury and limited innings.
Snells return has given the Dodgers another left-handed option with real October importance, and the club appears willing to keep pressing that advantage as the series develops. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is also part of the conversation for later games, which leaves Los Angeles with some intriguing rotation flexibility, but it also hints at a plan that carries risk if the Braves force the Dodgers to keep adjusting on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Sends Dodgers Fans A Clear Message On Tanner Scott
Tanner Scotts rough ninth inning in Game 1 of the National League Division Series did not change the way Dave Roberts views the left-handers place in the Dodgers bullpen. After Scott allowed a two-run homer, Roberts pointed back to the bigger picture, noting that he was working in a non-save spot with a four-run cushion and that the late decision was shaped more by the next hitters than by the inning itself.
For the Dodgers, that matters because Scott is not just another arm in the mix. He finished the regular season with a 2.69 ERA and 25 saves, and he is one of three left-handed relievers on the NLDS roster, a group Roberts figures to lean on as the postseason gets tighter. The message from the manager was clear: one bad moment in October has not shaken the teams confidence in Scotts role. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Clearly Have An Andy Pages Problem They Couldn't Ignore
Andy Pages challenges with the automated ball-strike system have become enough of a talking point that the Dodgers had to address it directly again in October. Manager Dave Roberts said the coaching staff spoke with Pages about his poor success rate on ABS challenges and told him not to challenge any pitches in the next game, a sign the club views the issue as more than just a one-off mistake.
It also wasnt the first time Los Angeles had to rein him in. The Dodgers had already limited Pages from challenging pitches in the second half of the regular season because of similar problems, and his early challenge in Game 1 left the team with only one challenge for the rest of the night. For a club trying to manage every edge it can in the postseason, that kind of self-inflicted drain is hard to overlook. [Read more 🡒]