Dodgers three-peat pressure might already be wearing on Tarik Skubal

Tarik Skubal is the savior the Dodgers didn't know they needed. With starting rotation questions abound — especially thanks to injuries to Blake Snell and Shohei Ohtani, alongside Tyler Glasnow's recent return — Skubal is the ace who was promised. That's a stark difference from the vibe when Skubal was acquired from the Detroit Tigers back in early August, which suggested he'd be yet another coin added to the Dodgers embarrassment of riches. These days, that couldn't be further from the truth.

Say what you will about this iteration of the Dodgers, they are rounding into form at the right time. Los Angeles has already clinched its division, and therefore a playoff spot. But the pressure is starting to mount on Skubal, who will be counted on to round out LA's postseason rotation. In his start on Saturday night against the Giants, Skubal's Dodgers won the game, but the two-time AL Cy Young winner lost the moment (and his cool).

Why was Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal so frustrated?

Skubal has a few reasons to be frustrated. The first is obvious — while a four-run outing may be good enough to beat the San Francisco Giants in a meaningless late-September game for both sides, it won't be against the best teams in the National League. The second takes a deeper level of introspection, and the willingness to look forward. Skubal will be the best free agent on the market this offseason, and with a lockout looming, he will want to sign quickly. Every bad outing, especially those in September and beyond, will be used against him in contract negotiations. When money's involved, front office executives can be ruthless, fair or not.

Skubal may have been the face of the Tigers, but this is a new level of pressure he has not faced before. The left-hander was acquired to secure a three-peat. He was seemingly the missing piece, and a break-class-in-case-of-emergency ace the Dodgers hoped they wouldn't need. Well, with Ohtani out and some of their oft-injured stars predictably on the mend, Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman have to use the hammer.

Should Dodgers fans be nervous about Tarik Skubal?

And this is where Dodgers haters, of which there are many, lose me. Absolutely not! Sure, Skubal's most recent outing raised his ERA slightly, and he showcased some emotion actual Dodgers fans would've rather not seen occur in the dugout. In the grand scheme of this Dodgers season, though, that should show just how much he cares. Skubal knows he's not just another trade deadline add-on, and he's not already packing his bags for a free agency getaway. In his four starts prior to Saturday night against San Francisco, Skubal had given up just five runs. He is a perfectionist on the mound, and this is how perfectionists react when they miss their spots.

Skubal has postseason experience on his side (not all of it good) in Detroit, and this could be a defining moment for him. Yet, even should the likely $400 million man struggle in the playoffs, the Dodgers do have reinforcements available. Whether it be Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow or even Roki Sasaki, the one advantage Los Angeles has over their competition is depth.

So, sure, Skubal let the moment get to him. Let's not blow it out of proportion.

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