Skubal strong in Dodgers debut; Cubs deal LA 5th straight loss
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- Tarik Skubal took the loss in his Dodgers debut Tuesday against the Cubs, but allowed just two earned runs on four hits over six innings with six strikeouts, two walks, and 13 whiffs on 43 swings, striking out Pete Crow-Armstrong to open his Dodgers career.
- The Cubs won 5-1 behind Dansby Swanson's solo homer off Skubal (his 17th of the year), Nico Hoerner's go-ahead RBI infield single in the sixth on a ball that bounced absurdly high over Skubal's head, and Hoerner's late solo homer in the eighth.
- The Dodgers' losing streak reached a season-high five games, dropping them to 69-45 and a troubling 10-14 since July 3, with their playoff positioning now facing scrutiny despite the preseason trade-deadline acquisition of Skubal.
- Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker hit a solo homer in the second inning — the only Los Angeles run while Skubal was on the mound — and later nearly ended the sixth with a spectacular catch on Alex Bregman's deep fly that instead fell for a double.
- Cubs starter Javier Assad navigated traffic with help from two inning-ending double plays from his infield to hold the Dodgers' offense in check, while newly-acquired Cubs reliever Ryan Zeferjahn delivered a spotless eighth.
Why it matters: Skubal's debut showed the ace the Dodgers traded for — two earned runs, six strikeouts, 13 whiffs — but the 5-1 loss was LA's fifth straight and 15th in 24 games since July 3, a tailspin that undercuts the entire purpose of the deadline blockbuster and raises real questions about the NL West leaders' October form.
