Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander, had a strong performance against the Tampa Bay Rays, striking out eight in seven innings. Despite giving up a home run on his first pitch, he held the Rays scoreless over the next 97 pitches. However, the Pirates lost 3-1 after the Rays rallied in the eighth inning.
Skenes’ effort marked the deepest start of his pro career. He allowed one run on six hits and a walk, lowering his ERA to 2.14. He has consistently allowed three runs or fewer in his eight starts, with five of those being one run or fewer. Skenes also achieved a remarkable record, becoming the only National League pitcher since 1901 to record 60-plus strikeouts and fewer than 10 walks in his first eight career starts.
The game began with Yandy Diaz hitting a leadoff home run off a 99.5-mph fastball from Skenes. Despite this early setback, Skenes recovered, retiring the next three batters. Bryan Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest for a Pirate in one season since 2004.
In the third inning, Skenes faced a challenging situation with the bases loaded but managed to escape with an inning-ending double play. Reynolds tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth with his 12th home run of the season. Skenes continued to pitch effectively, ending the fifth with his seventh strikeout and finishing the seventh inning strong with his fastest pitch of the game, a 101.5-mph fastball.
Colin Holderman relieved Skenes in the eighth but allowed back-to-back singles to Diaz and Josh Lowe, followed by a sacrifice fly from Randy Arozarena, giving the Rays a 2-1 lead. A single by Richie Palacios drove in Lowe, extending the lead to 3-1. Although Andrew McCutchen drew a pinch-hit walk in the eighth, the Pirates couldn’t capitalize, with Nick Gonzales striking out and Ke’Bryan Hayes hitting into a double play.
Kyle Nicolas retired the Rays in the ninth, but Rays closer Pete Fairbanks secured the win by retiring the Pirates in order. The Rays clinched the three-game series with this victory.
Leave a Reply