Skubal Steals The Headlines As Dodgers Fall 3-2 To Boston

On any other night we would be telling you about the Dodgers dropping their first series since the All-Star break.

On any other night we would be talking about the Red Sox, who have now won 22 of their last 26 games and show no signs of cooling off as August begins.

On any other night we would be singing the praises of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who surrendered just two hits over eight innings. Unfortunately for him, both left the ballpark off the bat of Ceddanne Rafaela.

On any other night we would point out that Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 11 games while lifting his average to .310, and that Teoscar Hernández appears to have rediscovered his power stroke with another home run.

On any other night we might even remind everyone that Aroldis Chapman can still bring triple-digit heat when the game is on the line.

This was not any other night.

Within minutes of the final out, before the Red Sox could finish celebrating a 3-2 victory, baseball's biggest headline broke. The Dodgers had acquired the most coveted pitcher on the trade market, landing reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers.

The loss instantly became secondary.

Andrew Monasterio opened the eighth inning with a ground-rule double, moved to third on Jarren Duran's bunt single and scored the decisive run when Connor Wong grounded into a double play.

Boston improved to 22-4 since the start of July and handed the Dodgers consecutive losses for the first time since the All-Star break.

Yamamoto deserved a better fate. Rafaela tagged him for solo home runs in the first and third innings, but after that the Dodgers' right-hander retired 13 consecutive hitters before Monasterio's double finally ended the streak. He finished allowing three runs on four hits over eight innings while striking out eight.

Teoscar Hernández accounted for much of the Dodgers' offense, collecting three hits, including a two-run homer in the second inning off Boston rookie Payton Tolle. Freeman added another multi-hit night, but Los Angeles could not solve Boston's bullpen as Justin Slaten bridged the gap to Chapman, who recorded his 27th save with a perfect ninth.

Before the game, the Dodgers designated left-hander Cole Irvin for assignment after Friday night's rough outing, recalled Kyle Hurt and Wyatt Mills from Triple-A Oklahoma City and placed Will Klein on the injured list with right elbow discomfort.

Dave Roberts had little to offer regarding trade speculation afterward, saying his focus had been on managing the baseball game. Whether he genuinely knew nothing or simply wasn't ready to discuss a deal that had yet to become official hardly mattered. The story was already racing across baseball.

The reported return—outfielder Zyhir Hope, right-hander River Ryan and pitching prospect Brady Smith—feels surprisingly modest for arguably the best left-handed pitcher in baseball.

Hope is unquestionably the prize heading to Detroit and could develop into a star. But Andrew Friedman also managed to keep Josue De Paula, Tibbs, Sirota and much of the organization's upper-tier farm system intact. River Ryan became expendable in a pitching-rich organization, while Brady Smith adds another promising arm for the Tigers.

If those names hold as the complete package, Friedman accomplished exactly what elite executives strive to do: acquire a true ace without stripping the future bare.

Listening to David Vassegh on AM 570 after the game provided an interesting springboard for another thought.

The criticism is already predictable. The Dodgers are ruining baseball. Nobody can compete with Los Angeles.

Really?

If Tarik Skubal was available for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith, are we supposed to believe another organization couldn't have assembled a comparable offer? Could the Brewers not have beaten it? The Rays? The Orioles? The Reds?

Maybe the problem isn't that the Dodgers are impossible to compete with. Maybe the problem is that too many front offices aren't willing to pay the price when a true ace becomes available.

Andrew Friedman was.

Championship windows don't stay open forever. The Dodgers recognized theirs and acted aggressively. If another organization decided the asking price was too steep, that's a perfectly legitimate business decision.

Just don't blame the Dodgers for making the move.

Up Next: The Dodgers will try to avoid a sweep Sunday night when Emmet Sheehan takes the mound against Boston left-hander Jake Bennett before attention quickly shifts to what promises to be Tarik Skubal's highly anticipated debut in Dodger blue.