'P-P-P-P-P' Dodgers lose again! Left-hander Sai Young-sung, two-time Cy Young winner, makes debut with 6 innings and 6 strikeouts in 'trade acquisition' but falls to fifth straight loss [LAD Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Tarik Skubal (30), a two-time Cy Young Award winner recently traded to the LA Dodgers, achieved half-success in his debut appearance.

On the 5th (Korean time), the Dodgers lost 1-5 to the Chicago Cubs in a 2026 MLB regular-season road game held at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

With this loss, the Dodgers fell to five consecutive defeats but maintained first place in the National League West with 69 wins and 45 losses, nine games ahead of second-place Arizona Diamondbacks. Meanwhile, the Cubs remained in second place in the National League Central with 65 wins and 49 losses.

The most watched player of the day was Skubal, the starting pitcher who recently donned the Dodgers' blue uniform. Skubal is a left-handed pitcher known for throwing fastballs reaching up to 103 mph (approximately 166 km/h). He won the American League Cy Young Award in both 2024 and 2025 Yeon Sok (수상). Last month on the 2nd, he joined the Dodgers in exchange for three top prospects, making his debut appearance today.

Skubal recorded six innings with four hits allowed (one home run), two walks, six strikeouts, and two earned runs. He mixed a variety of pitches including a fastball reaching up to 99.3 mph (approximately 159.8 km/h) on 24 pitches, an average sinker at 97.3 mph on 26 pitches, changeups on 20 pitches, sliders on 12 pitches, and curveballs on three pitches, throwing a total of just 85 pitches.

Despite inducing 13 swings and misses, luck did not fully favor him. In the bottom of the third inning, Skubal gave up a home run to leadoff hitter Dansby Swanson with his first pitch, sending it over the left-field wall. In the bottom of the sixth, he walked Seiya Suzuki and allowed a double to Alex Bregman, putting himself in a bases-loaded, one-out situation. At that moment, Bregman's double was a hit that outfielder Kyle Tucker could have caught but missed, leaving regret.

Skubal induced a ground ball from Michael Busch, and with the help of second baseman Tommy Edman's throw to home plate, he appeared to escape the danger by getting Suzuki out. However, Nico Hoerner's bunt toward a similar location was mishandled by Edman this time, allowing the Cubs to take a 2-1 lead.

As the Dodgers failed to score any additional runs, Skubal became the losing pitcher immediately after achieving a quality start (six or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs). His record for the season now stands at six losses and seven wins.

Shohei Ohtani, who started as the leadoff hitter and designated hitter, also remained silent with one hit in four at-bats, contributing to the team's defeat. Ohtani recorded a single to left field off Javier Assad in the bottom of the fifth inning, but that was all. Tucker, despite going 2-for-3 with one home run, one RBI, and one run scored, became the culprit for the loss due to his disappointing outfield defense.

Cubs starter Assad pitched 5⅔ innings with four hits allowed (one home run), two walks, four strikeouts, and one earned run, failing to earn a decision but laying the foundation for the comeback victory. Ryan Rolison, who entered in relief and retired the side perfectly in one inning, secured his sixth win of the season (with one loss).

In the Cubs' lineup, Pete Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-4 with one RBI, Hoerner went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBIs, and Swanson went 3-for-4 with one home run, one RBI, and two runs scored, leading the team to victory.

Both teams countered each other's power hitting. In the top of the second inning with two outs, Tucker hit a home run over the left-field wall, and in the bottom of the third, leadoff hitter Swanson tied the game 1-1 with a solo home run over the left-field wall.

The Cubs did not miss the opportunity created by Tucker's error in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the seventh with two outs and a runner on second, Crow-Armstrong hit a sacrifice fly to right field for one RBI and stole second base. Suzuki then followed with a single to center field for another RBI, extending the Cubs' lead to 4-1. In the bottom of the eighth, Hoerner capped the victory with a solo home run over the left-field wall.

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*This content was translated by AI.