Tarik Skubal made his first start at Dodger Stadium on Monday night since his trade from the Detroit Tigers, allowing three earned runs over five innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals. The two-time Cy Young Award winner struck out six batters across 95 pitches in an outing he described afterward as unusually emotional.

A Rocky Start

Kansas City wasted little time testing Skubal, jumping ahead in the first inning when Nick Loftin singled and Bobby Witt Jr. reached base on a fielder’s choice before stealing second. Jac Caglianone then drove in Witt Jr. with an RBI single to put the Royals up 1-0.

Skubal retired the side in order in the second, but ran into further trouble in the third. Loftin doubled with one out, and Caglianone followed with a two-run home run to right-center, extending Kansas City’s lead to 3-0.

Skubal Settles In

The left-hander steadied himself over his final two innings of work. He needed only seven pitches to retire the side in order in the fourth, striking out Michael Massey along the way, and worked around traffic in a scoreless fifth, closing his outing by striking out Caglianone with two runners on base.

Skubal acknowledged after the game that the atmosphere of pitching at his new home ballpark for the first time affected him. “I’d be lying [if I said I didn’t feel nerves],” he said. “I think nerves are a good thing. The day I’m pitching and I don’t have nerves is probably the day I retire, because I think having nerves just means you care. … This one was special to me. The nerves were a little bit higher, but it just means you care.”

He also pointed to inconsistent fastball command as the source of his early struggles, while crediting his teammates for the eventual win. “I just kind of sprayed the ball a little bit. That’s kind of unusual for me, especially with fastball command,” Skubal said. “But I thought I competed well and gave our team a chance to win. Our offense picked me up big time, defense picked me up big time, and the bullpen was outstanding tonight. So all in all, a good team win, especially when I don’t feel like I performed up to my standard.”

A New Battery

Monday’s game marked the first time catcher Hunter Feduccia worked behind the plate with Skubal since Feduccia was reacquired by the Dodgers from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline. Feduccia said he came away impressed by Skubal’s approach to opposing hitters and is looking forward to building further familiarity with him. “I was very impressed by his arsenal and how he goes about hitters,” Feduccia said. “He got into some deep counts right there and he executed, made some big pitches. … He has a great idea of what he wants to do to hitters and he’s very adamant about his attack. For the most part, I thought we were on the same page. So I’m excited to get to work with him coming forward.”

Manager’s Perspective

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke highly of Skubal both before and after the game. In pregame comments, Roberts praised the pitcher’s mindset as he adjusts to his new team while pursuing his first World Series title. “He’s as different as anyone I’ve ever been around in this short period of time,” Roberts said. “He’s just built differently — the mind, the body, the focus, the humility, the willingness to serve and help. … This guy is something like I’ve never seen.”

After the game, Roberts attributed some of Skubal’s command trouble to the emotional weight of the milestone start but praised how the pitcher carried himself afterward. “I do think that first home start, there’s some emotions that bleed into it,” Roberts said. “I think that there was an overexertion, which resulted in the fastball being more sprayed. I think we’re going to see a different guy as far as performance on Sunday. … But I like the way he came back on the bench. Sometimes when it doesn’t go well, people kind of hide. It’s a tell when you can still show your face and be around.”

Background on the Trade

The Dodgers acquired Skubal from the Tigers on August 1. Since arriving in Los Angeles, he has drawn significant attention as one of the sport’s top pitchers, having won consecutive Cy Young Awards before the trade.

What’s Next

Skubal’s outing opens a significant week for the Dodgers’ pitching staff. Fellow left-hander Blake Snell is scheduled to return from the injured list on Tuesday, adding another frontline arm to a Los Angeles rotation that has been reshaped by recent roster moves.