Skubal dominates in Dodgers win over Braves in NLDS opener

The two-time Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and two hits, struck out seven and walked two through six innings

Tarik Skubal tossed six dominant innings in triple-digit heat, Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy homered, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Saturday.

The game-time temperature of 100 degrees fell just short of equalling the Dodger Stadium record of 103 degrees at Game 1 of the 2017 World Series. The feels-like temperature was 105 degrees, with umpires chugging water between innings and fans shielding their heads with giveaway towels on a cloudless day. Skubal was cool, though.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and two hits, struck out seven and walked two while starting a post-season game at home for the first time in his career. His previous playoff starts were all on the road for the Detroit Tigers, who traded him to the two-time defending World Series champions just before the Aug. 3 deadline. Skubal’s 63 strikeouts are the second-most in a pitcher’s first seven post-season appearances behind Bob Gibson’s 74.

Game 2 is Sunday evening at Dodger Stadium, when an extreme heat warning remains in effect. Hernández and Tucker each hit a two-run homer against the Braves’ bullpen. Atlanta’s rotation got upended during its three-game NL Wild Card Series win over Philadelphia, with the Braves using ace Chris Sale in relief in the deciding game. The Braves managed just four hits.

Sean Murphy’s two-strike, 421-foot homer leading off the sixth left them trailing 2-1. Ronald Acuña Jr. singled leading off the ninth against reliever Tanner Scott, who then served up a 432-foot homer to Ozzie Albies, cutting the lead to 5-3. Scott then got two outs before Evan Phillips induced a groundout by Austin Riley with a runner aboard to earn the save.

Braves starter Dylan Dodd tossed three scoreless innings and gave up only singles to Shohei Ohtani in the first and Mookie Betts in the third. The Dodgers broke through against Atlanta’s bullpen in the fourth. Losing pitcher Victor Mederos walked Freddie Freeman before serving up Hernández’s 431-foot shot to left-centre, making it 2-0.

Still bothered by nagging arm and knee issues, Ohtani batted second behind Betts and lined to second with a runner on to end the third and flied out with a runner on in the fifth. Tucker went deep in the sixth and Muncy added a solo shot off AJ Smith-Shawver two batters later, extending the lead to 5-1.

The Braves had yet to announce a starter for Game 2 on Sunday against Dodgers LHP Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner.

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