The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they are World Series contenders again with a 5-3 Game 1 NLDS win over the Braves that included a Max Muncy moon shot. Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal got 100% real afterward on his big start while also sharing a key story dating back to his Little League days.
Journalist Bob Nightengale of USA Today revealed that Skubal had little issue pitching in the heat because of his experience dating back to his Little League days.
“This 101-degree temperature was nothing, Tarik Skubal said. He once pitched in 127-degree heat in Lake Havasu (Cordelia, California), back in Little League. This was higher stakes though, he noted.”
Article Continues BelowThe Dodgers jumped out to a two-run lead in the fourth inning and added three more runs in the sixth. Skubal outdueled Braves starter Dylan Dodd, going six innings, striking out seven batters, and giving up just one earned run.
He got help from the bottom of the batting order as Muncy launched a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Dodgers a 5-1 lead. Teoscar Hernandez added a thunderous blast of his own, helping to establish LA's reputation as a power hitting team to be reckoned with vs. Atlanta.
Game 2 is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Dodger Stadium on October 4 with Blake Snell toeing the slab against a still to-be-determined Braves starting pitcher. The Dodgers look like they have everything going for them, even when the weather seems against them. Skubal hasn't won a World Series, but 2026 could be the year if he keeps pitching the way he did vs. the Braves.