NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 3, 2026

Tarik Skubal

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Dodgers - 5, Braves - 3

Q. Tarik, you were excellent today. How did you find just getting into this game, kind of feeling your own rhythm and really navigating through the Braves lineup?

TARIK SKUBAL: I think Will did a great job back there calling the game, kind of getting me back in the zone, corralling some misses, and sticking with some pitches that I wasn't executing early. So I think he did a great job just getting me in the zone and reading swings and understanding stuff.

Yeah, I think he was great back there, so a lot of that goes to him. And honestly Tommy. Tommy Edman, his defense today was outstanding. Just to keep those balls in the infield is one thing, but to get outs, that's huge.

Q. After the home run, obviously there was the walk, how did you kind of bear down and navigate the rest of that inning without letting it get out of control?

TARIK SKUBAL: Honestly, the home run at-bat was probably the best executed at-bat of that inning. And the walk is -- I can't walk Kim there. Going with a sinker there, two strikes, and the inside was the part of the plate that I wanted to go to but just missed a little up.

The later walk was just kind of count leverage. I didn't love the count, and I didn't want them to be able to change the game. We're up 2-1 there, and I'm doing my best to keep it there as we come in. Yeah, able to get out of the inning with just one run was huge.

Q. Not to get too far ahead here, but last year in the postseason, the Dodgers had four starters, three of them wound up pitching in relief at some point, the other guy pitched on short rest. If the situation were to call for that this postseason, would you be up for something like that?

TARIK SKUBAL: Yeah, absolutely.

Q. Tarik, I think I've heard you talk before about how you like to save sort of your bigger fastballs for later in your start. You hit 101 in that second inning. Where did that come from, and like how much did sort of the bigger fastball help set up your change-up today?

TARIK SKUBAL: I think I was just trying to match the temperature out there. It was a hot one.

(Laughter.)

Yeah, I think the juices flow a little bit different in postseason games. I think if you just go back and look at average velocity for my starts in postseasons and compare them to regular season games, it's a little bit different in general. So when I reach back a little bit in postseason stuff, there's some good counts to kind of let it go in the second inning.

Honestly, when you get into two-strike counts with two outs, I realize when you're at home -- pitching at home -- everyone gets on their feet, and that's exciting obviously. It kind of shows right into what I'm trying to do on the mound.

Yeah, having a big fastball and just making sure that, if I'm going to get beat, it's always going to be with my best stuff going out every single pitch and kind of locking in that way. I think environment and adrenaline and the juices flowing kind of always help.

Q. You and Kyle Tucker were brought in as the big-name acquisitions to get this team back to the World Series and win it. You battle for six innings, you come out. What was it like for you to see Tucker provide that insurance with a big swing there in the sixth?

TARIK SKUBAL: Yeah, big, big swing, give us a lot of room to breathe in a postseason game. It ended up mattering a ton with the late-inning kind of comeback out of their guys. Big swing. That whole inning was big swings. Teo, big swing. Tuck, big swing. Muncy, big swing. It was good to watch all that stuff, and I'm excited to watch it again tomorrow.

Q. Have you had any conversations with Tucker throughout the two months you've been here about adjusting to a new team and the pressure that comes with coming to the Dodgers?

TARIK SKUBAL: For me, more conversations are just getting to know the person and getting to know the guy. When you go into battle with those guys, you kind of want to know the person more than have those kinds of conversations. So I've just gotten to know him as a human being first. Outside of the questions of, hey, where do you live, that's kind of all the stuff that I've talked to him about.

He's such a good dude. He works his ass off. Results don't always reward the work, but I think in moments like this, you're going to get rewarded for those types of things. I think in big-pressure moments, if you prepared the way that he prepares, I'll take his at-bat ten times out of ten.

Q. I know you grew up in Arizona where the heat can get up there.

TARIK SKUBAL: This is nothing, huh?

Q. I was going to say was this the hottest you've ever thrown in?

TARIK SKUBAL: I played a Little League game in 127, Lake Havasu, yeah.

Q. So this is nothing for you?

TARIK SKUBAL: Well, a little bit different game, but other than that, I guess yeah.

Q. Better hitters?

TARIK SKUBAL: I don't know, those kids from Havasu and Yuma in the Little League World -- I think they went almost all the way to -- yeah, yeah, obviously better hitters.

But it's up there with as hot a baseball game that you can play in.

Q. What do you do to combat that? Are you just taking as many fluids as possible? Are you spending the in-between innings in the AC in the dugout? Cold towels?

TARIK SKUBAL: Kind of stay out of the sun. What helps with that is I always say the best way to combat weather, if it's cold or hot, is to have quick innings and get your guys back on the field hitting and getting off the mound.

The first was kind of a longer inning, but I think pitching efficiently, I think I retired the next 15 guys after the leadoff guy. That always helps you maintain a little bit of stamina.

It's hot. No denying that. You know, every team's playing in it, right? They're playing in the same conditions we are. It doesn't really matter. It shouldn't really impact how you are mentally or how it's going to impact how you pitch. Just go out there and play baseball and try to drink water. That's really it.

Q. In that sixth inning, you talked about not letting them be able to change the game. Like when you fall behind to Albies, how much of that comes from postseason experience you've had in the past, and how much confidence do you have to have in your stuff to have that mindset with Olson on deck and just trying to judge that situation as you're going through that spot?

TARIK SKUBAL: I think just understanding count leverage, understanding like momentum in game and trying to stop all those things, I think that's part of what a starting pitcher does, and trying to leave the game with your team winning, right? It's really tight at that point.

Just understanding how to pitch, when to make -- it's not like any pitch is bigger than the next, but just understanding the situation. I think everyone in this clubhouse and team understands situation. It's not a -- a walk isn't the worst thing in the world there. Matt Olson is an extremely good hitter, but he's also left-handed. So it kind of gives me some confidence, and you can pitch around some different situations.

Yeah, I think it's just understanding the game of baseball.

Q. I think when you first came over, you talked about embracing the pressure of obviously being the guy to carry a team like this back to the World Series. Is that something, when you're out there on a day like today, you're conscious of, or are you just sort of, blank, process, go, next pitch. What's sort of going through your mind as you're sort of processing all that?

TARIK SKUBAL: I think for me, when I'm competing out there on the mound, it's pretty simple. I'm trying to execute one pitch at a time and do that for however many throws I get to have that game. Not making one pitch bigger than it needs to be, just being pretty present.

It sounds simple. It's extremely hard to do because situations, you start thinking about different things, and maybe you're thinking about slider command or change-up command or fastball command as much as you want, and those thoughts kind of creep in, and you've kind of got to eliminate them and focus on executing one pitch at a time.

I've executed every pitch that I throw thousands of times. So just trust that, trust the work that you put in. Again, it sounds simple to try and live one pitch at a time, but I think it's pretty difficult given circumstances.

Q. Has it gotten more difficult as maybe the stressors or the impact, the situation that you're in has gotten higher stakes? Is that one of those things where you've gotten to a point in your career where it's just sort of routine?

TARIK SKUBAL: I would love to sit here and say it's routine, but there are some moments in some games that happen where you're thinking about the wrong thing. You're thinking about don't hang this slider instead of I'm going to execute this slider, or don't leave this fastball in the middle instead of I'm going to execute this fastball down and away, whatever it is.

I think that's just the mental battle of being a pitcher and making sure you're present with every single throw. I think it's gotten a little bit easier and simpler as the more times I've been in the Big Leagues and stuff.

Honestly, I try to treat every start kind of the same, whether it's a postseason start or a regular season start. I'm trying to win every single game that I'm out there pitching, and that's kind of how I approach the game of baseball.

Q. Tarik, just to follow on that question, maybe you can settle a bet from the broadcast. Joe Davis thought you were getting a bit tired in the sixth, and Smoltz said, no, no, no, the heat's not bothering him at all. How tired were you in the sixth?

TARIK SKUBAL: I didn't really think it was that hot out there until I got done and I walked back in the dugout, and I asked -- I forget who was sitting, I think it was Snell. I was like, Has it been this hot all game? He was like, Yeah.

Wow, it's amazing what your brain can do in certain circumstances and moments. It's amazing what you can control and kind of eliminate.

So I actually didn't think it was horrible when I was pitching. I'm sure it was, if you were just watching the whole game like he was. Yeah, it was a hot one. I felt like I had more to go obviously.

I'm going to trust Doc and what he's feeling and what he's watching. I think in the sixth there were some bigger misses and some walks, and that's probably what led to me coming out of the game. I didn't look as crisp in the sixth inning, but I felt good going forward.

Q. This was your first postseason start as a Dodger. Besides the heat, did the moment feel different once you got on the mound?

TARIK SKUBAL: It was a ton of fun. I love pitching here. I love pitching at home. I love pitching in front of these fans. I got a lot of respect for the fans that came out and showed up today. It's not easy. It's 100 degrees. The sun was on us the entire game.

So I got a lot of respect for everybody that showed up. Hopefully packed some sunscreen, or maybe they were giving some handouts, I don't know.

I've got a lot of respect for everybody that showed up. I think us as a team, we really appreciate that.

Q. Now that you finished your NLDS Game 1 start, how excited are you to see Snell and then Yamamoto taking in Game 2 and Game 3?

TARIK SKUBAL: Yeah, I'm really excited. Our starting pitching is elite. Glas too. I'm excited to watch all these guys throw. I love when they take the ball because it gives us a really good chance to win, and that's all you can ask. I know they're going to leave everything out on the field, and that's all you can ask too as a teammate.

I'm excited to watch those guys throw. It's a ton of fun. I'm excited to watch Blake go, and then Yoshi, I've got the most respect for everything he's done in the game. Last year was unbelievable, and I'm excited to watch him go out and do his thing again.