Let me get this straight.

It was 103 degrees at Dodger Stadium, the sun was beating down like it had a personal beef with everybody in the building, and Tarik Skubal decided this was the perfect time to throw a baseball 101 MPH.

Because apparently being uncomfortable wasn’t enough.

The Dodgers’ newest pitching weapon wanted to make sure the Atlanta Braves were uncomfortable too.

And boy, did he.

Skubal put on an absolute pitching clinic Saturday afternoon, throwing six innings of one-run baseball as the Dodgers knocked off Atlanta 5-3 in Game 1 of the NLDS.

This wasn’t just a good Dodgers playoff debut.

This was Skubal basically walking onto the biggest stage and saying:

“Oh, you guys wanted October baseball? Cool. Here’s 101 MPH. Good luck.”

Skubal has always said he doesn’t like emptying the tank early. He’d rather save his best fastball for those late-inning, high-pressure moments.

Apparently somebody forgot to tell his left arm that Saturday.

In the second inning, Skubal reached 101 MPH, something he hadn’t done all season.

When asked about it afterward, Skubal joked that he was just trying to match the temperature.

I respect the answer.

Because what else was he supposed to say?

“I saw the Braves lineup and decided to ruin everybody’s afternoon?”

Honestly, that would’ve worked too.

Skubal allowed a leadoff single to Drake Baldwin and then gave up a home run to Sean Murphy to begin the sixth inning.

Outside of that?

Good luck finding anybody who could hit him.

Skubal retired 15 straight batters, striking out seven of them. He finished with only two hits allowed, seven strikeouts and a fastball that averaged a ridiculous 98.1 MPH.

And the changeup?

Absolutely filthy.

He generated eight swing-and-misses with it.

That’s not pitching.

That’s bullying.

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy basically summed it up perfectly, saying Skubal was exactly what the Dodgers expected when they traded for him.

And here’s the scary part for the rest of baseball:

This guy looks like he’s getting better at exactly the right time.

The Dodgers acquired Skubal from Detroit in a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline, giving up two highly regarded prospects in Zhyir Hope and River Ryan.

The Dodgers already had an absurd amount of pitching.

Then they decided:

“You know what? Let’s add another monster.”

Because apparently having enough pitching was not enough.

Since joining Los Angeles, Skubal posted a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts, and he fit into the clubhouse almost immediately. He even developed a close friendship with fellow left-hander Blake Snell.

And then came Saturday.

The Dodgers’ offense finally woke up in the fourth inning when Teoscar Hernández launched a two-run homer.

Then Kyle Tucker, who had struggled through much of his first season in Los Angeles before getting hot down the stretch, delivered a massive two-run blast in the sixth.

Two batters later, Max Muncy joined the party.

At that point, the Dodgers had a four-run lead and everybody inside the stadium was probably thinking:

“Okay, we’re good.”

Well…

The Braves didn’t exactly cooperate.

Ozzie Albies hit a two-run homer off Tanner Scott in the ninth, because apparently Dodgers fans aren’t allowed to enjoy anything without experiencing at least five minutes of cardiac arrest.

But the Dodgers held on.

And through all of it, Skubal was the guy keeping everything together.

That’s becoming his thing.

Since the beginning of last season, Skubal has posted a 1.69 ERA in four playoff starts, with 43 strikeouts and only six walks over 26⅔ innings.

Let me repeat that:

1.69 playoff ERA.

This isn’t some guy getting lucky for a weekend.

This dude shows up in October and apparently turns into a completely different species.

Even Dodgers legend Sandy Koufax was sitting in the second row watching him.

That’s when you know things are getting serious.

Imagine pitching in the playoffs and looking into the stands and seeing Sandy freaking Koufax watching you.

I’d probably forget how to throw a baseball.

Skubal?

He just kept throwing 98.

Miguel Rojas called him a bull and said he’s the kind of pitcher you want at the front of your rotation.

Yeah.

No argument here.

And let’s talk about the heat.

Because this was not your typical baseball afternoon.

It was 103 degrees.

The sun was basically sitting directly on the players.

Most human beings would be looking for air conditioning, an ice bath and somebody named Dave to bring them a cold towel.

Skubal?

He barely noticed.

He grew up pitching in Arizona and even remembered one afternoon at Lake Havasu when temperatures reached 127 degrees.

So 103?

Apparently that’s just Tuesday in Arizona.

After the sixth inning, Skubal finally sat down in the dugout, turned to Blake Snell and asked:

“Has it been this hot all game?”

YES, TARIK.

IT HAS.

You’ve just spent six innings throwing baseballs at professional hitters while standing in 103-degree heat and apparently forgot the weather existed.

That’s either incredible mental toughness or the baseball version of being so locked into the game that you forgot you have a body.

Probably both.

And that’s what stood out most.

Skubal wasn’t overwhelmed by the stage.

He wasn’t overwhelmed by the heat.

He wasn’t overwhelmed by the Braves.

He wasn’t even overwhelmed by the expectations that came with being the guy the Dodgers traded major prospects to acquire.

He simply went out there and pitched.

The Dodgers wanted somebody who could change their championship odds.

They may have gotten exactly that.

Because if Saturday was any indication, Tarik Skubal isn’t just another arm in the Dodgers’ rotation.

He’s the guy who can walk into October, turn the temperature up to 101 MPH and tell everybody else:

“Good luck keeping up.”

And if I’m the Braves?

I’d be checking the weather forecast for Game 2.

Because after getting cooked like that, I’d want to make damn sure the temperature drops.

Errol Marks — NYS Sports Loud Mouth

Because sometimes baseball is America’s pastime.

And sometimes it’s just six innings of a grown man throwing 101 MPH while everybody else is sweating their ass off.