Paul Skenes Dazzles in Near-Perfect Start for Pirates Against Diamondbacks

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, the reigning Cy Young winner, delivered another jaw-dropping performance on Wednesday, nearly etching his name in the record books. In a masterful display at Chase Field, Skenes came tantalizingly close to achieving a no-hitter, and even a perfect game, in the Pirates’ narrow 1-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t go through my mind,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly, reflecting on the possibility of Skenes’ historic feat. Instead of a no-hitter, Skenes settled for an impressive eight-inning gem, allowing just two baserunners throughout the contest. Kelly summed up Skenes’ performance succinctly: “He was unbelievable.”

From the outset, Skenes showcased his elite pitching arsenal, overpowering Diamondbacks hitters with a blazing 98-mph four-seam fastball and a deceptive changeup. He recorded an astonishing 13 swings-and-misses and struck out seven batters using a variety of pitches. With 97 pitches thrown, 65 were strikes, and he retired 13 batters on three or fewer pitches, never exceeding 17 pitches in any inning. Remarkably, he even threw nine pitches or fewer in three separate innings, showing an effortless command on the mound.

“I thought there were times that every pitch was working,” Skenes noted. “We were executing our pitches.” Indeed, Skenes retired the first 15 hitters he faced with ease, allowing only three balls to reach the outfield, and no player was challenged with more than a routine play.

The only blemishes on his otherwise flawless outing came in the sixth inning, where Lourdes Gurriel Jr. managed an infield hit, followed by a sharp single from Nolan Arenado. Yet, those two hits were all that stood between Skenes and baseball immortality as he completed his eight innings without issuing any walks and not allowing a single run.

Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe, who provided the game’s only run with a first-inning home run, expressed his excitement playing behind Skenes. “I’m not going to go out there and tell him he’s got to throw no-hitters every single time,” Lowe said. “But it’s a lot of fun to be behind when he’s rolling like he was tonight.”

While Skenes has had a couple of rough outings this season, including a five-run performance in his season opener, he has otherwise been nothing short of spectacular. With a record of 5-0 and an impressive 0.74 ERA in his last six starts, he has demonstrated why he is considered the best pitcher in the league.

Now sporting a career ERA of 2.01, Skenes boasts the lowest ERA by any pitcher through their first 63 starts since at least 1920. His 22 scoreless starts also set a record for the most by any pitcher through 63 starts since 1901. The only notable absence from his stellar resume is a shutout or a nine-inning complete game.

After striking out the side in the eighth, Skenes appeared to show signs of fatigue, prompting Kelly to bring in left-handed reliever Gregory Soto to close out the game. “His command wasn’t as good,” Kelly observed, noting Skenes’ velocity had dipped slightly. However, Skenes, who was unaware of his pitch count, expressed confidence in Soto’s ability to finish the job. “I wasn’t worrying about it too much,” he said, optimistic about future opportunities for a complete game.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.