Tarik Skubal Makes 2nd Dodgers Start Against Royals
Tarik Skubal makes his 2nd start with the Dodgers in LA against the Royals, spotlighting LA's challenges and his familiarity with AL clubs such as Kansas City.
Video Transcript
It will be the last game that you see there on the board, Joe.
And that is the- Mm-hmm Dodgers facing off against the Royals, 'cause Tarik Skubal will make his Dodger blue debut at Chavez Ravine.
And so Noah Cameron actually pretty good, I thought, recently.
But, you know, no doubt Skubal's gonna wanna have a big game.
This'll be his first Dodgers start in LA tonight.
Yes, it, it will.
And just like that, though, you mentioned it, the National League West has become a very, big focus of attention here after just a month ago it was like, yeah, okay, so the Dodgers win, what else?
Well, I mean, the Dodgers are now four games worse than the Milwaukee Brewers, for the best record in Major League baseball.
You got the Braves, who had an interesting series against the Yankees in the Bronx over the weekend, but they're a game ahead of the Dodgers.
And, you know, crazy enough, it has not been the pitching, Craig, that has been the issues, for the Dodgers.
It's the hitting.
And, you know, we did think that this was certainly a roster from an offensive standpoint that might have been a little too top, top-heavy there.
But it, it's starting to play out here a little bit.
I mean, th- they An extra inning win against Arizona is not what I would consider, "Ah, they figured it out, it'll all be okay."
I, I, I mean, they, they have some problems, but I think it's all on the offensive side here.
As of right now, it would appear that, but it's just a slump probably for LA.
In the clubhouse- Well- they're saying there's nothing wrong and eventually things will pick up, and I'm guessing they're right.
But, you know, the interesting part of this is that the Milwaukee Brewers just really can't be beat.
It feels like they're such a tough team to beat right now that they may end up just taking that number one seed.
And as you can see there, the Red Sox certainly had a great week.
Tampa Bay, I think they kinda put the end to the Mariners, I thought, Joe, over the weekend, sweeping them in Seattle.
Seattle honoring their best players of all time and getting swept in the process.
Yep.
Wow, I didn't see that coming.
You know, certainly San Diego playing well too.
You know, I still think the Dodgers will have no problem winning the division.
You know, the landscape has certainly changed a little bit, and Arizona does get Colorado this week for a few games, so they could make a little bit of a charge.
Mm-hmm.
But you know, naturally I think every team goes through it.
Dodgers just happen to be going through it right now.
Yeah.
And look, and Skubal, I am sure Now the interesting part too is that it, it's not like Skubal's going up against a National League team here.
He's going up against an American League team that knows very much, what he is all about here.
And you're right about Noah Kamin.
His last four starts have been, extremely well, or at least last three anyway.
Picked up the win against the, Twins on, on Wednesday last week.
One run.
Season high nine strikeouts over eight innings.
They had a lot of high hopes for him, this year.
But, you know, he's a lefty, and if it's one thing the Dodgers have had an issue with, it's hitting left-handed pitching here for some reason.
But feels like, runs might be a little bit harder to come by, at least until, and you and I both know this, Craig, at least until the bullpen of Kansas City gets involved.
And then I think all bets are off.
Is that fair?
Right.
The Royals just, you know, can't get out of their own way once they get late into the game, so that's certainly- a, fair point there.
And, and look, the Dodgers are a monster favorite tonight.
I mean, any time you're looking at a game where they're at home and they've got a guy like Skubal on the mound, it's kinda hard to go the other way.
And the Royals have really not given us a lot to cheer about all season long, so I certainly would not expect that.
You know, plus what I, I can't even see that.
Is it 370 or 270 there on my board there?
I got- 270.
270 270.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah, so that's actually- Yeah not as big as some of their lines have been.
But, but either way, yeah.
I, I mean, there's gonna be better games to watch tonight.
But it'll be fun to see Skubal pitch in that first inning in LA and make his debut.
