Tarik Skubal was strong in his third start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. But it wasn’t enough for a win in the final game of a four-game series against the NL-best Milwaukee Brewers.
Brewers starter Logan Henderson outdueled Skubal with seven one-run innings as Dodgers bats went quiet for the second straight game. The result was a 6-2 Brewers win to secure a 3-1 series victory on the road in the matchup of NL contenders.
Skubal, making his third start since joining the Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline, countered with two runs allowed in six innings. He struck out the side in his final frame and left the top of the sixth still eligible to qualify for the win, trailing 2-1
But Dodgers bats didn’t muster a challenge in the bottom of the frame or for the rest of the game, and Skubal was credited with his second loss as a starter for the Dodgers.
And once Skubal left the game, Brewers bats went to work on the Dodgers’ bullpen, scoring two runs in the seventh and two more in the ninth to blow open the once-tight matchup.
Skubal remains in search of his first win. He’s also still searching for his first signature performance with his new team. While he allowed only two runs on Sunday, the Brewers made him work. He surrendered seven hits and two walks and needed 109 pitches to get through six innings. He struck out seven.
It was Henderson, instead, who looked the part of a multi-time Cy Young winner for the Brewers. Henderson allowed just three hits and one walk in seven innings while striking out six. A solo home run by Max Muncy in the fourth inning was the only damage against him on the day.
It marked the second consecutive standout start for the Brewers in the series after Jacob Misiorowski allowed five hits and one run in six innings in Saturday’s 4-1 Milwaukee win.
It adds up to a significant confidence boost for a Brewers team that got swept by the Dodgers in last season’s NLCS and lost out to Los Angeles in the trade-deadline sweepstakes to acquire Skubal.
With the win, the Brewers improve their MLB-best record to 77-48. The Dodgers fall further back in the race for the top seed in the NL playoffs to 74-51 with their 11th loss in 16 games.
And they remain at risk of falling out of the top two seeds and a first-round bye in the NL playoffs. They’re now a half-game behind the Atlanta Braves, who improved to 74-50 Sunday with a 5-3 win over Arizona Diamondbacks.