The Dodgers offense straight up disappeared on Sunday, mustering a measly single run in a frustrating 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. It was a tough one to swallow, especially when you consider what their starting pitcher did on the mound.
Skubal’s Gritty Outing
Skubal, man, he was dealing. He ended his afternoon with seven strikeouts, tossing a career-high 109 pitches, beating his old mark from way back in 2022. And get this: only one earned run was charged to him, the absolute least he’s allowed since joining the Dodgers. He’s 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 19 Ks, and six walks over 17 innings in his first three starts. That’s a guy fighting out there!
Yeah, the first inning was a bit of a grind. He needed 33 pitches, faced seven hitters, and the Brewers struck first after Jonathan Ornelas singled, Skubal walked William Contreras to load them up, and Tommy Edman misplayed a feed from Mookie Betts on a soft grounder from Luis Lara. But after that, he locked in! He combined for just 19 pitches between the third and fourth innings, even getting one out away from setting down eight straight hitters. That’s a serious turnaround.
Then, boom, another two-out rally against him in the fifth. Jackson Chourio sparked it with a double, Jake Bauers got his third hit against Skubal to plate Chourio, and Andrew Vaughn made it three straight two-out hits. Skubal needed 28 pitches to finish that inning, but still, he finished strong by striking out the side in order. What more could you ask from your starter?
Offense on Mute and Brewers’ Two-Out Magic
Honestly, the bats just couldn’t give him any support. Logan Henderson for the Brewers was ridiculously efficient, needing just 28 pitches for his first two innings and then cruising to a career-high seven innings on only 93 pitches. The Dodgers’ only early offense was leadoff base hits from Shohei Ohtani and Betts, but neither could advance. After Betts’ single, the Dodgers went hitless for eight straight trips to the plate. Seriously, eight!
Max Muncy finally broke the silence in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out, game-tying solo home run. Max clutch, right? But that was it. After Muncy’s blast, they went 0-7 against Henderson. Just brutal.
Meanwhile, the Brewers’ two-out magic kept rolling against the bullpen. Chourio singled off Edgardo Henriquez in the seventh. Then Bauers, who was on fire with four hits, crushed an RBI double off Alex Vesia, bringing Chourio home. Vaughn kept the two-out party going, driving Bauers home to make it a 4-1 Brewers lead, just like it was in the previous game.
This loss stings, big time. You had a starter like Skubal battling his heart out, giving you arguably his best outing as a Dodger, and the offense just totally fizzled out. You can’t leave your guys hanging like that. With Kyle Hurt making his first appearance since August 9th in relief, you have to hope the bullpen gets a bit of a reset, but the main thing is those bats. They absolutely have to wake up next game if this team wants to make any noise.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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