During the recent trade deadline, there were very few moves, if any, that carried the same level of expectation as Tarik Skubal’s. After all, he joined a clubhouse chasing a three-peat and is rightfully pushing for it, with the Dodgers sitting at +150 to +160 odds to win the World Series. Skubal delivered in his debut as well, holding the Chicago Cubs in check for six innings while the Dodgers trailed by one run. So, the scrutiny was inevitable when he was pulled from the game, and now Dave Roberts is shedding light on his decision.

“I’m not going to push him every time out,” Dave Roberts was quoted by insider Jack Harris, as per SleeperDodgers on X. “We have a lot of baseball left to play. He’s a guy that we’re all counting on, so I think that I’m going to manage, pick my spots with him.”

Tarik Skubal allowed four hits, two earned runs, and two walks while striking out six batters. To top that, he threw 51 strikes on 85 pitches. The Cubs’ only damage against Skubal came on a home run by Dansby Swanson and an RBI single from Nico Hoerner. The Dodgers trailed 1-2 when the 29-year-old left the mound, but Alex Vesia gave up another run in the seventh. Then Edwin Díaz surrendered a home run in the eighth. 

The Dodgers entered Wrigley Field on Tuesday with a four-game losing streak, and many fans were convinced that Skubal would appear as their savior. Unfortunately, LA lost the game 5-1 and dropped the series. The Dodgers managed only 4 hits in the entire game. 

Such an outcome wasn’t something the back-to-back Cy Young winner had anticipated. The crowd showered Skubal with loud boos and even mockingly chanted his name. In fact, the Dodgers have been at the center of heavy criticism ever since they brought the ace to LA.

Many fans and rival executives complained that the Dodgers were using their deep pockets to grab every big star in the sport. Even on Tuesday, just a few hours before the first pitch, a plane flew over Wrigley Field with an upside-down banner reading: “THE DODGERS RUINED BASEBALL.”

Both Skubal and Dave Roberts pushed back on the criticism. The left-hander refused to “sympathize with people who are complaining because the Dodgers do all the right things.”

Similarly, his manager explained that, “There’s nothing that we did that no one else couldn’t have done.”

While the criticism was too much to ignore, Roberts seemed a bit optimistic.

“I do think that Tarik will get that kind of reception every time he toes the rubber,” he added.

Earlier, he again praised Skubal for doing all the right things. He even admired his arsenal and his controlled emotion on and off the field, calling him “a dog.”

Skubal, on the other hand, admitted that it felt like his MLB debut. Now, the Dodgers, after their fifth loss in a row, will look for a way to get back in the game on Wednesday while waiting for their returning players.