LOS ANGELES — While it was the Dodgers who won the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, the Milwaukee Brewers seem to have won everything else since.
In his third start since joining the Dodgers at the trade deadline, Skubal pitched well, allowing two runs (one earned) over six innings. But it was Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson who won the duel and carried Milwaukee to a 6-2 victory Sunday.
The Brewers won three times during the four-game showdown series. It gave Milwaukee a 4-3 advantage in the season series and the tiebreaker for seeding in the playoffs in case both teams are tied at the end of the regular season.
With an offense sputtering through the height of summer, fundamental play was at a premium but the defense was far from its best.
A Brewers foul ball fell untouched on the warning track in left field, while a botched flip between shortstop Mookie Betts and second baseman Tommy Edman allowed a run to score. Kyle Tucker misplayed a deep fly ball in the ninth inning, before Edman added a second error when he misplayed a backhand with the infield in, allowing two more runs to score.
Skubal did his best to weave his way through the Brewers’ lineup, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over six innings.
He appeared to get out of trouble in the second inning, but when Edman dropped Betts’ flip for what would have been the third out, it allowed Brandon Lockridge to score from third base.
Max Muncy got the Dodgers even at 1-1 in the fourth inning with his 24 th home run of the season, but Milwaukee went back on top a half inning later.
The Brewers started a two-out rally in the fifth on a Jackson Chourio double. Bauers singled on a 2-2 changeup to score Chourio for a 2-1 lead.
Bauers was at it again in the seventh inning. Chourio started another two-out rally, this time with a single against right-hander Edgardo Henriquez, and Bauers followed with an RBI double against Alex Vesia. He scored on a single from Andrew Vaughn.
The Brewers reportedly made a deadline offer to acquire Skubal but it was the Dodgers that came out ahead with a trade package of outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Since making his Dodgers debut on Aug. 4, Skubal is 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA. At issue are the four total runs of support he has received while on the mound.
Tucker was back in the Dodgers’ lineup after getting Friday to soothe with what manager Dave Roberts described as frustration. Tucker went 0-for-3 and is batting .232 with an .700 OPS, well under his career marks of .268 and .844, respectively.
When Teoscar Hernandez singled with one out in the eighth inning against right-hander Chad Patrick, it was the Dodgers’ first hit since Muncy’s home run in the fourth. Hunter Feduccia followed with a single to put runners on the corners before Shohei Ohtani grounded into an inning-ending double play against left-hander Aaron Ashby.
The Brewers had the bases loaded in the ninth inning when David Hamilton hit a sharp ground ball to the right side against a drawn-in infield. The ball hit off Edman’s glove, allowing two runs to score.
Pages hit a home run in the ninth, his 21st.