Paul Skenes Nearly Pulls Off Perfect Game in Pirates Win
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes is one of the best in baseball and he showed that against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Skenes almost threw a perfect game, retiring the first 20 Brewers hitters that came to hit, before giving up a hit, but the Pirates supported him with a 6-0 win at American Family Field.
The Pirates improve to 15-11 on the season and 7-6 on the road, as they've split the past 13 games, going win and then a loss during that stretch.
Pittsburgh also improves to 5-2 against the National League Central, as they took two out of three games vs. both the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, March 30-April 1, and against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, April 10-12.
Skenes Has Incredible Start Vs. Milwaukee
Skenes came into this outings vs. the Brewers with two poor starts at American Family Field last season, where he gave up four earned runs over four innings in two starts, taking the loss in both.
He came back with just allowing the one hit over seven innings, posting seven strikeouts in his win over the Brewers.
It was disappointing for Skenes to not go the whole way and get the perfect game, but a single from Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning ruined that chance.
Skenes was still dominant, getting five whiffs each on his four-seam fastball and splitter, with three strikeouts on his fastball and four strikeouts on his splitter.
Pitch | Usage | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 38/93 (41%) | 97.9 mph |
Splitter | 27/93 (29%) | 93.8 mph |
Sinker | 14/93 (15%) | 97.3 mph |
Sweeper | 11/93 (12%) | 83.5 mph |
Changeup | 3/93 (3%) | 90.4 mph |
It isn't the first time Skenes has found himself in this situation, as he threw seven no-hit innings against the Brewers at American Family Field on July 11, 2024, before he got taken out.
The Pirates bullpen gave up two hits, but they still got a 2-0 win over their divisional foe.
Skenes finishes his April the best way he could, with four wins in five starts, a 0.95 ERA over 28.1 innings pitched and 28 strikeouts to five walks.
He gave up five earned runs in less than an inning pitched on Opening Day vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26, but now looks like he's back in Cy Young form, as he was when he won the award last season.
The Pirates then got two scoreless innings after Skenes, with one inning from left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery in the eighth inning and one inning from right-handed pitcher Isaac Mattson in the ninth inning to secure the victory.
Konnor Griffin Finally Goes Deep
The Pittsburgh Pirates called up shortstop Konnor Griffin for his MLB debut in the home opener vs. the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, three weeks prior.
Griffin would finally hit his first home run in the top of the third inning, taking a 93.4 mph four-seam fastball over the middle of the plate from Brewers right-handed starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff for a solo shot.
It's his first home run and it came after 66 at-bats, before he finally got to show his power. He hit 21 home runs in the minor leagues last season and now can continue showing that at the major league level.
Griffin wasn't done with his production, as he singled in the top of the fifth inning, stole second base and then hit a single in the top of the eighth inning, scoring both right fielder Ryan O'Hearn and third baseman Nick Gonzales to make it 6-0.
The Pirates also got an RBI-single from Gonzales in the top of the fourth inning to make it 2-0, a fielder's choice in the top of the fifth inning that first baseman Spencer Horwitz scored on to make it 3-0 and then Horwitz hit an RBI-single to score O'Hearn to make it 4-0.
If Griffin and his teammates can continue showing this kind of play, then the Pirates are in good shape to keep getting wins and compete for the divisional title.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.