Dansby Swanson nukes Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal with first-of-season home run

The first two innings of Tarik Skubal’s Los Angeles Dodgers debut could not have gone smoother. The same can’t be said for the third frame.

Skubal cruised to six straight outs in his start against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Then Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson stepped up to the plate in the bottom half of the third and deposited a first-pitch, 96 mpg fastball into the left center-field bleachers.

Shockingly, the home run was the first of the season allowed by Skubal on the first pitch of an at-bat, per TBS’ broadcast.

The no-doubt home run tied the game at 1-1, and that wasn’t the end of what ended up being a stressful inning for the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.

He recorded outs against the next two hitters he faced before Cubs star center fielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong, hit a single to right field to extend the inning.

Dansby Swanson rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Tarik Skubal. Getty Images

PCA stole second base soon after before Seiya Suzuki worked a walk against Skubal in a six-pitch at-bat. Skubal got Alex Bregman to fly out after that, limiting the damage to Swanson’s solo shot.

Skubal has thrown 48 pitches through three innings. It will be interesting to see how long Dodgers manager Dave Roberts lets him keep pitching in his first time performing in a Los Angeles uniform.

Tarik Skubal walks off the mound during a Los Angeles Dodgers game. AP Photo/Melissa Tamez

The new Dodgers ace settled in after that, though.

Through 5+ innings, Skubal has allowed one run on two hits, with one walk and five strikeouts.