LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tarik Skubal started out shaky, putting the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 3-0 hole in the first inning. Then, the two-time Cy Young Award winner dug in to flash the stuff that made him baseball's prize acquisition at the trade deadline.
Skubal struck out 11 — one off his season best — to earn his first win since joining the two-time defending World Series champions, 4-3 over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
"That's the guy that we needed. Completing seven innings, reset the bullpen, great outing,” manager Dave Roberts said. "He’s very physical, and you can see that when he needs to reach back for more, it’s in there.”
Skubal was 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA in his first three starts with the Dodgers, who acquired him in a blockbuster deal with the Detroit Tigers earlier this month.
