Tarik Skubal said on October 4, 2026, that he approached his postseason start by executing one pitch at a time and relying on his best stuff.
“I'm trying to execute one pitch at a time,” Skubal said. He credited Will Smith with calling the game, helping him regain his rhythm and read swings, saying, “Will did a great job back there.” Skubal also said Tommy Edman made outstanding defensive plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, describing Edman’s defense as “outstanding.”
Skubal said he wanted every pitch to reflect his best stuff so that any defeat would come against his strongest execution: “if I'm going to get beat, it's always going to be with my best stuff.” He added that postseason adrenaline and the home environment help him reach higher velocity, saying, “The juices flow a little bit different.” Skubal said he reached 101 mph in the second inning, retired the next 15 batters after the leadoff hitter and pitched six innings, according to his account.
Skubal said he felt he had more left in the sixth inning but trusted Dave Roberts’ assessment when larger misses and walks appeared. He also said repeated major-league experience has made it somewhat easier to stay present and treat postseason starts like regular-season starts. Discussing the 100-degree conditions, Skubal recalled that he had played a Little League game in 127-degree heat.
Skubal praised Kyle Tucker’s work ethic, saying he is “such a good dude” who “works his ass off.” He expressed excitement to watch Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch in the following games, saying the Dodgers’ starting pitching is elite and gives the team a strong chance to win. Skubal also expressed respect for Los Angeles Dodgers fans who attended the game.
Skubal said he would be willing to pitch in relief for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the postseason if the situation required it, answering, “Yeah, absolutely.”