Braves' bats and 100-degree heat prove no problem for Tarik Skubal in Dodgers' decisive NLDS Game 1 win

On Saturday, for the first time in his big-league career, Tarik Skubal started a ballgame with a fastball that clocked in below the first-pitch temperature. One inning later, he bested the sultry conditions with a 101.1 mph heater. Neither the weather nor the Atlanta Braves were a match for the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

Skubal conquered them both in NLDS Game 1, tossing a gem to lead the two-time defending champs to a rousing 5-3 victory . Beneath a cruel sun and a cloudless sky, Skubal, the trade deadline headliner, stole the show in his first postseason start as a Dodger. The hottest MLB postseason game since Game 1 of the 2017 World Series was a fitting environment for a guy who grew up on the fringes of the Mojave Desert. Rocking three-quarter-length sleeves, the towering southpaw looked entirely unaffected by the triple-digit heat.

"I thought Tarik was fantastic. I thought the fastball was really good ..." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said afterward. "Obviously, probably the hottest game he's pitched in."