Dave Roberts believes the Dodgers should feel confident with Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell lined up back-to-back against the Kansas City Royals, saying it is the kind of pitching matchup that can make life difficult for any offense.
It is a striking stretch for the Dodgers. Skubal is scheduled to start on Monday, with Snell following on Tuesday, and MLB statistician Sarah Langs noted it is only the 12th time in MLB history that one team has had two pitchers with multiple Cy Young Awards.
Roberts did not hide his view of the advantage. “It’s great,” he said. “On one side of it, you feel it as the home team because you feel the confidence of who you’re running out there. But on the other side, it seems daunting when you look at the probables and you see these Cy Young guys back-to-back. It’s a lot to take in as an offense. So it feels really good to have those two guys on our side.”
Why the Dodgers feel built around starting pitching
The Dodgers have already shown what a strong starting group can do. Last season, they rode Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Snell to a World Series title, and now Skubal has been added to that mix.
That is why Roberts keeps returning to the same point: starting pitching remains the backbone. “I think you have to win with starting pitching. You really do,” he said. “I know in ’24 we did it a different way, but starting pitching is kind of your backbone. To have those guys, regular season, postseason that’s a good foundation.”
He also pointed to the broader shape of the game, stressing that the Dodgers cannot rely on the arms alone. “But you’ve also got to play good defense behind them; we’ve got to score runs,” Roberts said. “But it does feel like every night, we should have a good chance to win a ballgame.”
Skubal brings a tough atmosphere with him
Skubal’s own comments underline why this matchup carries weight. His debut start at Wrigley Field in Chicago brought a hostile reception, with boos greeting him repeatedly and loudly, but he said that kind of environment is part of what makes baseball enjoyable.
“Great atmosphere. The Cubs’ fan base is awesome,” Skubal said. “It’s a ton of fun to play in front of. And whether they’re rooting against you or for you, I love the fans.”
He added that he expects more of the same this season. “The fans are what create the environment,” he said. “It’s a ton of fun to play in front of crowds like that. Even if they’re booing me or whatever it is, I think that’s what makes the game of baseball really fun, the competition really fun, and the atmosphere really fun. I’m sure that’s not going to be the only rowdy atmosphere on the road. I plan on pitching in front of those atmospheres for the rest of the season.”
Snell’s return adds another layer
Snell’s presence matters just as much. He opened the season on the injured list because of shoulder inflammation, and on May 9 he went three innings against Atlanta before undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow.
For the Dodgers, that makes his return part of a larger picture rather than a standalone story. The club has not simply added another starter. It has restored one of its top weapons and paired him with Skubal in a short stretch that immediately raises the ceiling of the rotation.
Roberts summed up the mood simply: now the Dodgers have their pieces back, and they expect that to matter. “Now we’ve got Blake back. We’ve got Tarik here. We feel like we have the pieces of our starting pitching to go on a run,” he said.
For the Royals, this is exactly the sort of series that tests an offense. For the Dodgers, it is a reminder that the best teams are often built around starters who can control the tone of a game before it gets away from them.
