The second Saturday of May proved to be quite a day for Pittsburgh Pirates fans as their very own first round draft pick, Paul Skenes, took the mound in his debut. Not even a rain delay could tear Pittsburgh fans’ eyes off the field. They were hoping for an easy win thanks to the dominant performance from their new phenom.
The rookie was shaky at times but the Pirates still eked out a 10-9 win. Skenes tossed four innings and surrendered three earned runs while punching out seven.
How will the rookie fare in his next start?
Record-Setting Rookie Claims the Mound In Pittsburgh
Paul Skenes took the field with the number 30, but it was the number 21 that had been on everyone’s minds up to that point. He was the No. 1 pick in the MLB draft, all of 21 years old about to make his debut in Major League Baseball. Hopes were unreasonably high, but as it turns out, in Pittsburgh it was an unreasonable kind of day.
From Dominant Display To Rollercoaster Win
Skenes put up seven strikeouts in his debut as his pitching regularly hit top speeds and broke 100mph several times. The young phenom of Pittsburgh exhibited both stamina and control, stranding Cubs players with the bases loaded as early as the second inning. These are the stats you want to see from your new pitcher, marking his territory aggressively and declaring that Pittsburgh is a force to be reckoned with.
When Skenes reign of terror finally came to an end, he exited to the roar of the crowd on their feet, eager to praise that memorable first outing. The excitement wouldn’t last, not as long as Pittsburgh’s bullpen had something to say about it.
A bases-loaded walk is a term that strikes a familiar pang in the gut to all baseball fans universally. But when you’ve got to sit through multiple bases-loaded walks in the span of one inning, that’s a cruelty that no baseball fan is prepared for. Fortunately, Pittsburgh squeaked out the win, and hope for the season came alive once again.
Future Looks Bright In Pittsburgh…Maybe
It was a promising start to Skenes’ career, but how will his callup impact the rest of Pittsburgh’s season? The team will look to continue playing well in the first half of the season and get better production from their shaky bullpen.
Pittsburgh is looking to be a contender in the National League for years to come and with a player like Skenes in the fold for years to come that is a distinct possibility. He had a brilliant performance, and the Pirates are on their way up.
About the Author
Sam Skurka is a writer at Total Apex. The first foray into content writing is always the hardest. Be gentle and respectful, like Sam’s writing.
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