Tarik Skubal Stays the Course After Getting Hit Hard by Cardinals

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal endured one of his most difficult starts of his career against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Skubal surrendered eight hard-hit balls and 10 hits, coupled with a velocity dip compared to his normal season average. The numbers tell a tale of struggles: 5.2 innings pitched, 6 strikeouts, 10 hits, and 1 walk.

The hard-hit rate was 8%, and the chase rate was 32%, both markedly lower than his usual performance indicators. His fastball velocity was subpar as well. The performance came after a pattern of recent subpar outings. According to Statcast, most of the hits Skubal allowed were hard contact, not soft hits, with an expected batting average of .300 or higher.

His whiff rate was a low 25% on swings, both figures trailing his typical performance. Statcast explained that most of the hits he gave up were hard contact, indicating a lack of effective pitch movement. Skubal himself seemed pleased with the result, primarily because most of the hits were singles rather than extra-base hits. He attributed his poor performance to an elevated changeup, stating that he would stick to his usual approach, believing that most of his pitches were only a couple of inches off the plate.

He did not feel the need to adjust during the game as he perceived the Cardinals' hitters were putting good swings on his pitches. Looking ahead, it will be intriguing to observe whether Skubal tweaks his changeup, given that it lost an inch of horizontal break and gained vertical break on average. Despite the tough start, the Cardinals' defense played well, staying on Skubal's pitches and capitalizing on good at-bats.

The Cardinals had scored 21 runs over two games prior to Skubal's start, but the southpaw remains on track to achieve his first "masterpiece" as a Dodger.