Paul Skenes pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the San Diego Padres at PNC Park on Tuesday night. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander allowed two hits, struck out six and walked two, nearly throwing a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Pirates manager Don Kelly limited Skenes to 100 pitches or fewer as he builds up for the season.
Skenes started strong, striking out the first two batters in a 1-2-3 first inning. He walked Manny Machado to open the second but retired the next three hitters, including Xander Bogaerts on strikes. Skenes struck out two more in the third on 12 pitches and retired 11 Padres in a row through the fifth inning, using just 36 pitches over those three frames. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.7 mph, with control sharpening as the game progressed on 87 total pitches, 53 for strikes. 87 pitches (53 strikes) total. He’s now allowed just two runs in his past 11 1/3 innings. The Pirates finally got into the scoring column with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Oneil Cruz drove home a pair of runners with an opposite-field double down the line, making Skenes eligible for his second win of the season. Skenes allowed his first hit in the sixth, a single by Fernando Tatis Jr. through the left side. In the seventh, Bogaerts homered on a high fastball, Skenes' final pitch of the outing and the first allowed by a Pirates starter this season. Kelly had announced pregame that the 23-year-old would not exceed 100 pitches while increasing his workload.
