Pittsburgh Pirates Starting Pitcher Paul Skenes continued to take Major League Baseball by storm with another great appearance. Skenes tossed six innings and surrendered one earned run while striking out three batters in Pittsburgh’s 7-6 loss on Thursday afternoon to the San Francisco Giants. When he departed the game the Pittsburgh Pirates led 5-1, but an absolute meltdown by the “Buccos” bullpen stopped Skenes from picking up his second career win.
Relief Pitcher Hunter Stratton had an afternoon he would like to forget at PNC Park. He surrendered five earned in only 0.2 innings of work.
Skenes is 1-0 with an ERA of 2.25 this season. Will he be able to carry this momentum into his next start?
Paul Skenes Career Summary
Paul Skenes lowers his ERA to 2.25 with six innings of one-run ball. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cGXSabPqLb
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2024
Skenes entered Major League Baseball with lofty expectations as he was the No.1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of LSU. He was ranked as the No. 2 prospect before the beginning of the regular season behind only Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles.
Skenes made his long-awaited debut on May 11 against the Chicago Cubs. He surrendered three runs over four innings of work while striking out seven. His second start, also against the Cubs, was an absolute masterpiece. He tossed six no-hit innings and struck out his first seven hitters of the ballgame. Skenes finished with 11 strikeouts in the game. The combined no-hit bid was ended in the seventh inning for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates hope Skenes can anchor their starting rotation for years to come, and his first three starts have done nothing to temper expectations for the young flamethrower.
Pittsburgh Pirates Season Summary
The Pirates(23-28) are fourth in the National League Central and have struggled following a strong start to the 2024 regular season. Pittsburgh started the season off 5-0 but had a six-game losing streak in April, and another stretch where they lost nine of ten games. The offense has struggled through nearly the first third of the regular season. They are 23rd in runs scored, fourth in strikeouts, and 26th in batting average.
Pittsburgh’s pitching staff, thanks in part to Skenes, has been the much stronger part of their team up until this point. They are 13th in ERA, have surrendered the eighth-fewest home runs, and are 13th in strikeouts.
When Will Skenes Take The Mound Next?
The next scheduled start for Skenes is on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, on the road against the Detroit Tigers. Following a tough loss at home earlier today, the Pittsburgh Pirates head south for a three-game set with the Atlanta Braves beginning on Friday night.
About The Author
Justin has always loved sports. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated and 247Sports. He is always willing to talk football (NFL or college) and basketball, whether it’s on the women’s or men’s side, college or pro! Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy
