Paul Skenes pitched another gem on Monday, but it was not good enough for a no-hitter.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace once again flirted with the rare pitching feat on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies, but his no-hit bid was broken in the seventh inning by Mickey Moniak in the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Oneil Cruz tried to dive for the ball to keep Paul Skenes’ no-hitter alive, but couldn’t get there in time to prevent Moniak from breaking up the reigning National Cy Young Award hurler’s bid for a no-hitter.
Cruz isn’t exactly known for his defensive prowess, even making headlines earlier in the season for his outfield miscues, but Skenes did not blame his teammate for the spoiled no-hitter. He even greeted Cruz in the dugout to let him know it was all fine.
All love from Paul Skenes to Oneil Cruz after his no hitter got broken up https://t.co/UxtyNski27 pic.twitter.com/97vwJ86uqr
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 13, 2026
Cruz can still feel good about his overall performance in the game despite missing out on a flyout. He scored two of the Pirates’ runs in a 3-1 victory, while going 3-for-4 at the plate with a strikeout.
Skenes left the mound after tossing eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, while improving to 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA through nine starts in 2026.
