Manager Dave Roberts' Los Angeles Dodgers got a big performance from Tarik Skubal in a 5-3 win in Game 1 of the NLDS. Dodgers DH Kyle Tucker went yard as did Max Muncy, the latter of whom batted eighth.
Muncy hit his 17th career postseason home run with the Dodgers, a franchise record. He spoke to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports after the game, sharing his thoughts.
“It's awesome…You know, it means a lot to me. The thing that means about that that means the most to me is, it means I've had a lot of opportunities to play in October.
Article Continues Below“It doesn't matter,” Muncy said about batting eighth. “When you're managing a team that has as much talent as we have, sometimes it's not easy to pick spots for guys to go into,” Muncy added about Roberts deciding to slot his power bat in the eighth spot.
The Dodgers' series opening win came on a day when Roberts chose starting pitchers for Games 2 and 3, giving his team a chance to prepare for the challenges ahead. Los Angeles got hits from Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Muncy, giving Skubal the much-needed run support he rarely got at the right times with the Detroit Tigers.
Skubal did his part in the Dodgers' win while Muncy showed the insane depth Roberts team possesses. Game 2 will bring a different kind of challenge with Blake Snell on the mound and another chance to show the baseball world that the Dodgers still reign supreme in pursuit of their third straight championship.