Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes takes the mound Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals at 12:35 p.m. ET. The two-time All-Star and reigning Cy Young winner recently flirted with a perfect game against the Brewers. He enters with a 4-1 record and 2.48 ERA in six starts this season.
Paul Skenes, the 23-year-old ace, was perfect through 6 2/3 innings last Friday on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers before Jake Bauers ended the bid with a hard chopper up the middle. Skenes completed the inning, striking out seven while throwing a season-high 93 pitches, marking Pittsburgh's third-longest perfect game attempt in the Expansion Era since 1961. The Pirates remain one of 14 MLB teams without a no-hitter of that kind in their history. His 2.01 ERA over 61 major league starts is the lowest through 60 starts in the Live Ball Era since 1920. After a rough Opening Day on March 26 where he exited in the first inning with a 67.50 ERA, Skenes has posted a 0.94 ERA over his next five outings, allowing no more than one run or three hits each time. This marks his seventh career start against the Cardinals, where he holds a 0-4 record despite a strong 2.39 ERA, 41 strikeouts, and just seven walks in 37 2/3 innings. He last faced St. Louis on July 1 of last year, delivering five shutout innings. Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson has hit .353 against him with six hits in 17 at-bats, while Victor Scott II is 2-for-7 with a triple. Skenes has fanned Jordan Walker four times in six at-bats and Masyn Winn four times in 18.
