Chicago Cubs Make Unfortunate History Against Pirates Rookie

Paul Skenes has only made two MLB starts so far, but he already has the Chicago Cubs' number.

Skenes, the first overall pick in the 2023 Draft, faced the Cubs in his MLB debut on May 11 at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie was dominant from the jump, striking out the first two batters he faced and racking up seven strikeouts over his first four career innings. The sport's next great ace had arrived, helping the Pirates to a 10-9 victory despite a late collapse from their bullpen.

As fate would have it, Skenes' second career start also came against Chicago, this time at Wrigley Field. Back on their home turf, the Cubs had a chance to redeem themselves against Skenes on Friday afternoon and prove they could hit the 21-year-old phenom.

Instead, Chicago looked completely helpless at the plate. Skenes blew the Cubs away with 100-mph fastballs and nasty splitters, piling up 11 strikeouts (including the first seven batters he faced) over six hitless innings en route to his first career win.

Pure filth 🤮

Every strikeout from Paul Skenes' first MLB win ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/QEVWWzekIM
— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2024

Even worse, Chicago found itself on the wrong side of history. Skenes became the first pitcher in MLB history to have six no-hit innings and 10+ punchouts in one of his first two career starts. He also became the first pitcher in Pittsburgh history with at least 11 strikeouts in a start at Wrigley Field.

If the last week has proven anything, it's that Skenes clearly isn't afraid of the Cubs. He's come out firing against them and mowed them down with ease, fanning 18 batters in just 10 innings. The hard-throwing righty has challenged them with his best stuff, and they simply haven't been able to hit it.

This is bad news for Chicago, as Skenes isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He'll likely be with the Pirates through at least the end of the decade, if not longer. As Pittsburgh's division rivals, the Cubs will be seeing a lot of Skenes over the next few years.

They better learn how to hit him, otherwise he's going to be a thorn in their side for years to come.