Skubal delivers in first Dodgers postseason start
Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner whom the Dodgers acquired from Detroit at the August trade deadline, took the mound for his first postseason start in Los Angeles and retired 15 consecutive batters after allowing a leadoff single. Working in 100-degree Fahrenheit heat at Dodger Stadium, he limited Atlanta to two hits across six innings, the only damage a solo home run by Sean Murphy in the sixth. Manager Dave Roberts praised Skubal's fastball and changeup, noting that the pitcher kept the Braves off balance and completed six innings in difficult conditions.[S1]
Hernandez, Tucker and Muncy supply the power
Teoscar Hernandez opened the scoring with a 431-foot home run in the fourth inning off Atlanta reliever Victor Mederos, who had walked Freddie Freeman. Kyle Tucker doubled the advantage with a two-run shot into the Braves' dugout in the sixth, and Max Muncy added a solo homer two batters later. The Braves cut the deficit in the ninth when Ronald Acuna Jr. singled off Tanner Scott and Ozzie Albies followed with a two-run homer, but Scott retired two batters and Evan Phillips recorded the final out to secure the 5-3 win.[S1]
Other division series openers
The Dodgers' victory was one of four second-round series openers on Saturday. In Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox beat the Guardians 3-0 behind a two-run home run from Munetaka Murakami, who connected for his first MLB postseason homer in the fourth inning off Parker Messick, a 440-foot drive that also scored Miguel Vargas. Murakami, who joined Chicago from Japan on a two-year, $34 million deal, has helped the White Sox rebound from three straight 100-loss seasons to an 84-74 record and a wild-card series win over Houston. Cleveland left the bases loaded in both the third and fourth innings. Later, the Tampa Bay Rays hosted the New York Yankees, who are without Aaron Judge because of a calf injury, and the Milwaukee Brewers, owners of the National League's best record at 103 wins, hosted the San Diego Padres.[S1]
