Tarik Skubal’s debut can’t end Dodgers’ skid in season-high fifth straight loss

CHICAGO — Tarik Skubal emerged from the visiting dugout to begin his pregame routine, and the not-so-friendly confines of Wrigley Field responded accordingly. The first round of boos rang out as he jogged to right field to begin his pregame work. They grew louder when the the starting lineups were announced. And they crescendoed when he took the mound as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time Tuesday night.

Skubal is prepared for visiting stadiums to give him the villain treatment for the next two to three months. That comes with the territory of joining the star-studded juggernaut that is the Los Angeles Dodgers, regardless of the fact that he joined via trade.

So when Skubal toed the rubber for his Dodger debut, a near-sellout crowd of mostly Cubs fans let him have it. He responded by punching out Cubs leadoff hitter Pete Crow-Armstrong with a 99 mph sinker for a called strike three en route to a perfect first inning.

Not too shabby of a first impression on his new team.

“It felt like my major-league debut,” Skubal said. “Kind of same type of vibe in terms of the nerves running through. But I think that’s all good stuff.”

He added: “It’s a ton of fun to play in front of crowds like that. Even if they’re booing me or whatever it is, I think that’s what makes the game of baseball really fun, the competition really fun, and the atmosphere is really fun.”

Tarik Skubal strikes out the first batter he faces with the Dodgers! pic.twitter.com/JFXyhpEJxe

— MLB (@MLB) August 5, 2026

The rest of his debut was solid. Skubal allowed two earned runs — one on a solo shot by Dansby Swanson in the third, the other on an infield single in the sixth — in six innings. He scattered four hits and walked two with six strikeouts on 85 pitches before manager Dave Roberts gave him an early hook. Still, another lackluster night by the offense and a late-inning meltdown from the bullpen saddled Skubal with a 5-1 loss, a season-high fifth straight for Los Angeles.

“We got to find a way to win a ballgame,” Roberts said. “I thought tonight Tarik was fine. A lot of emotion, adrenaline, (but) he limited the damage. There was probably a little bit more in there for sure, but I’m not going to push him every time out. We have a lot of baseball left to play. He’s a guy that we’re all counting on, so I’m going to manage, pick my spots with him.

“You know, you still got to score.”

Kyle Tucker accounted for the Dodgers’ run when he connected on a solo homer to the opposite field in the second inning — his third home run in his last 10 full games. But the Dodgers were unable to give their newest ace a proper welcome. They tallied four total hits and went 0-for-3 in their limited chances with runners in scoring position.

“It’s a long season. Just a rut,” said Mookie Betts, who is hitting .256 with a .581 OPS over his last 30 games. “We’re going to be OK. I just know I’ve got to be better. I can’t speak for anyone else.”

But Betts, like the rest of those in the Dodgers clubhouse, was impressed by his newest teammate.

“That was awesome,” he nodded. “I’m glad he’s on our side. He did an amazing job tonight.”

The Dodgers (69-45) are frustrated by their recent skid, but they aren’t going to fret too much. They believe their slumping offense will break out and their shaky bullpen will right itself. What is important now for Skubal, Roberts and the Dodgers is figuring how best to use their new star. Skubal, who had an unprecedented surgery for MLB players in early May to address loose bodies in his throwing elbow, hasn’t thrown over 100 pitches all year.

That’s why at the end of the sixth inning, Roberts turned to Skubal and let him know he was done. It was a conversation Skubal understood, even though he felt he could have pitched more.

“He told me I was done. I felt good, though. Just kind of expressed that to him,” Skubal said. “But I’m going to trust him in those decisions and where he wants to go. He’s the manager for a reason, so I’m always going to support whatever he thinks is best.”

There have been minimal concerns about Skubal’s health since his return. He needed just six weeks to return to a major-league mound and made nine starts for the Detroit Tigers before headlining this year’s trade deadline with the deal to the Dodgers late Saturday night. But he has thrown over 95 pitches just once and has reached the seven-inning mark only twice in those starts.

There will be circumstances when Roberts will push Skubal to go deeper into games. His first start in a new uniform in a game in early August wasn’t the time.

“I’m going to err on the side of being smart and cautious, knowing that he could still give us more,” Roberts said. “I’m going to push him. But tonight is not the night. I just felt that that extra inning wasn’t worth the squeeze.”

Instead, Roberts turned to a bullpen that has struggled mightily of late. Los Angeles relievers combined for a 5.01 ERA last month, the seventh-highest mark in MLB. Those troubles have carried over into August, even with closer Edwin Díaz back from the injured list after he missed nearly 3 1/2 months recovering from elbow surgery.

After Skubal departed, Roberts turned to Alex Vesia, who was tagged for two hits and two earned runs before being taken out with two outs in the seventh. Evan Phillips finished the inning without further damage, and Roberts opted to give Díaz some work since he had not pitched since Thursday. Díaz served up a one-out solo homer to Nico Hoerner, walked a batter and gave up a single before getting out No. 2. By then, his pitch count had reached 23. Not willing to tax Díaz in a non-save situation, Roberts went to Jack Dreyer to finish.

“The bullpen just wasn’t wasn’t sharp today,” Roberts said. “There was a lot of mis-execution, not taking advantage of counts. (The Cubs) got the two-out hits, and won the ballgame.”

In his first outing as a Dodger, Skubal showed he’s already adjusted to his new team. Now he’ll adjust to how he’s received by other fanbases on the road.

Already, he’s embraced it.

“I’m sure that’s not going to be the only rowdy atmosphere on the road,” Skubal said. “I plan on pitching in front of those atmospheres for the rest of the season, and then obviously, when it comes postseason time, I’ll be ready to go.”