Tarik Skubal is set to take the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. If his teammates are any guide, he will treat it like any other day at the ballpark.
Max Muncy shared what has stood out most about the two-time Cy Young Award winner since the Dodgers acquired him from the Detroit Tigers in a blockbuster deal ahead of the trade deadline.
“With starting pitchers, when it’s their start day, it’s always kind of an interesting debacle, we’ll call it,” Muncy said in a press conference. “With him, I’ve never seen somebody be so normal on a start day, and to me that’s really refreshing and really awesome to see.”
Max Muncy shared how Tarik Skubal and Clayton Kershaw are similar but also have one big difference. pic.twitter.com/flrdNOiwod
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Muncy explained that Skubal’s personality does not shift when it is his turn in the rotation.
“He doesn’t change his attitude or his mind, the way he acts in the clubhouse with the other guys. He doesn’t change any of that on his start day,” Muncy said. “For a guy to be as competitive as he is on the mound and as fiery as he is, it’s really awesome to see.”
The veteran infielder noticed it right away.
“It was his first start. He just came right up to me and started asking me questions and talking about something that wasn’t even involved in the game,” Muncy said. “I don’t remember what it was, but he was talking about something that just completely threw me off.”
Article Continues BelowThat was a far cry from what Muncy grew accustomed to with Clayton Kershaw, the franchise icon who was famously intense and locked in on the days he pitched.
“Playing with Kershaw for all those years, it’s the complete opposite, and that’s kind of where I go to the word debacle a little bit,” Muncy said. “Skubs and Kersh couldn’t be more opposite in terms of their start day routine.”
Skubal’s easygoing approach has worked so far. He allowed one run over six innings in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, and the Dodgers will be counting on that same calm against Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers.

