Inside the Astros

Astros' Star Out Duels Paul Skenes for First Win in Almost Three Years

This Houston Astros star got his first win on the mound in almost three years, and he did it against one of the young faces of the MLB.
Jacob Moss|
May 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) reacts after a strikeout to retire the side against the Athletics during the fourth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
May 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) reacts after a strikeout to retire the side against the Athletics during the fourth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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One of the best feel-good stories in all of baseball so far this season has been the triumphant return of Houston Astros star Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound after spending the last three seasons clawing his way back from injury.

The former World Series hero made his first start since 2022 on May 4, and after a rough first couple of appearances in which the righty was still finding his footing, McCullers has quickly returned to his prior form.

Despite tossing several quality starts over the past few weeks, though, McCullers was unable to lock down his first win of the season. That all changed on Tuesday night, though, as he out-dueled arguably the best pitcher in baseball to secure his first W in almost three years.

Facing down the Pittsburgh Pirates and their young superstar in Paul Skenes, McCullers was brilliant. The former All-Star tossed six shutout innings in which he allowed just two hits and one walk and fanned seven Pirates' hitters.

Skenes, for his part, was also masterful, going eight innings and allowing just one run. The real damage came in the ninth, however, as Pittsburgh's closer, Dennis Santana, came in and immediately gave up two more runs to put the nail in the coffin on Skenes' sixth loss of the campaign.

After such a long road back to the majors, a win like this is obviously one that McCullers will savor more than just about any other. The fact that it came against a pitcher like Skenes just makes it all the more surreal.

“It took a while, but we got there,” McCullers after the game (per MLB.com's John Perrotto). “I’m just happy that I’m kind of back in the mix with the guys, and I’m able to give them legitimate opportunities to win. Obviously, going up against Skenes, a truly special pitcher, I was just trying to give the boys a fighting chance.”

Giving his guys a fighting chance is one thing, but out-dueling the guy who's quickly become one of the two or three biggest stars in the sport for your first win since 2022 is something to truly be admired.

After the long journey McCullers has taken to get back to where he is now, he deserves his flowers more than just about any other player in the sport.

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Jacob Moss
JACOB MOSS

Georgia native and avid Atlanta sports fan who has lived in the Charlotte area for the past eight years. Got started writing about sports for my middle school paper and haven’t stopped since. Graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and proud 49er. Passionate sports writer who has covered everything from high school soccer to the NFL for several prominent outlets including the Charlotte Observer, ESPN, and the Carolina Panthers. Also covered the South Carolina Gamecocks football program as the lead beat writer for Last Word on College Football, and was a contributing writer for several other notable online publications such as Yardbarker. Lives and breathes sports and will watch whatever is on or in season. Favorite teams include the Braves, Hawks, Falcons, and Georgia Bulldogs. Massive Jordan Speith and Rory McIlroy fan on the PGA Tour

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