Dodgers' Tarik Skubal Shares Honest Reaction to Dave Roberts Taking Him Out at 85 Pitches

Tarik Skubal made his first start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs following a blockbuster trade at the deadline.

Skubal performed very well, throwing six innings and allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out six batters. The Dodgers' offense let him down, with the club only putting up one run over the course of the game.

Tarik Skubal puts up a quality start in his Dodgers debut! pic.twitter.com/6Zc54wUlVt
— MLB (@MLB) August 5, 2026

Dave Roberts decided to take Skubal out of the game after just 85 pitches, in part because of the stressful sixth inning that came after a Kyle Tucker misplay in the outfield.

At the time, the Dodgers were down 2-1. The bullpen ended up allowing three runs, including two in the bottom of the seventh inning, to put the game away.

After the game, the newest Dodgers ace fully backed his manager, despite the potentially questionable decision.

“He told me I was done. I felt good, though. Just kind of expressed that to him,” Skubal said to reporters. “But I’m going to trust him in those decisions and where he wants to go. He’s the manager for a reason, so I’m always going to support whatever he thinks is best.”

Los Angeles has its sights set on the postseason, so making sure that Skubal doesn't over-exert himself in August will be part of the calculus. Moreover, Skubal hasn't thrown more than 96 pitches in a start this season as he returns from his midseason elbow surgery.

“I’m going to err on the side of being smart and cautious, knowing that he could still give us more,” Roberts said after the game. “I’m going to push him. But tonight is not the night. I just felt that that extra inning wasn’t worth the squeeze.”

Skubal's debut was strong, even with the team suffering the loss. The left-hander looked comfortable throughout the game, even while dealing with a tough Cubs crowd.

Before the game started, Skubal dealt with tons of boos from the Chicago faithful, giving him a taste of how life will be with the Dodgers moving forward. In a matter of days, Skubal has gone from being one of the more loved players in baseball to now experiencing everyone hoping he fails.

Skubal's next outing will likely come early next week when the team faces off against the Kansas City Royals at home. But one thing is clear: the left-hander showed he's ready for the scrutiny that is sure to come his way now that he's with the Dodgers.

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