CHICAGO — Tarik Skubal emerged from the visiting dugout to begin his pregame routine, and the not-so-friendly confines of Wrigley Field responded accordingly. The first round of boos rang out as he jogged to right field to begin his pregame work. They grew louder when the the starting lineups were announced. And they crescendoed when he took the mound as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time Tuesday night.Skubal is prepared for visiting stadiums to give him the villain treatment for the next two to three months. That comes with the territory of joining the star-studded juggernaut that is the Los Angeles Dodgers, regardless of the fact that he joined via trade.So when Skubal toed the rubber for his Dodger debut, a near-sellout crowd of mostly Cubs fans let him have it. He responded by punching out Cubs leadoff hitter Pete Crow-Armstrong with a 99 mph sinker for a called strike three en route to a perfect first inning.Not too shabby of a first impression on his new team.“It felt like my major-league debut,” Skubal said. “Kind of same type of vibe in terms of the nerves running through. But I think that’s all good stuff.”He added: “It’s a ton of fun to play in front of crowds like that. Even if they’re booing me or whatever it is, I think that’s what makes the game of baseball really fun, the competition really fun, and the atmosphere is really fun.”
Tarik Skubal’s debut can’t end Dodgers’ skid in season-high fifth straight loss
The newly acquired starter whose arrival in L.A. highlighted the deadline, allowed two runs on six hits but got little offensive support.










