Cardinals fans gave Paul Skenes surprising send-off at Busch Stadium

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was so impressive Tuesday that even St. Louis Cardinals fans had to tip their proverbial cap.

Skenes shut out the Cardinals through 6.1 innings at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo. The Pirates rookie was pulled from the game in the 7th after giving up a 1-out double to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Skenes was given a huge applause and even received a standing ovation from Cardinals fans as he walked off the mound.

Cardinals fans give Paul Skenes an ovation as he exits in the seventh inning pic.twitter.com/UV4TiWeYwx

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 12, 2024

It’s not everyday that you see home fans cheering on an opposing pitcher for playing well — let alone one who plays for a division rival.

The 22-year-old didn’t earn a win in the box score following the 2-1 Pirates victory. But he clearly earned the respect of several Cardinals fan in attendance on Tuesday.

Skenes gave up 5 hits and no runs with 8 strikeouts across 6.1 innings of work.

Over his first 6 career MLB starts, Skenes has an ERA of just 2.43. Only eight qualified pitchers in the majors have an ERA below 2.50 at this point in the season. Skenes has also yet to be charged for a loss since being called up to the big-league roster.

Skenes has so far pitched with the poise of a veteran. But the youngster still clearly has his youthful exuberance judging by how he reacted to giving up a home run to Shohei Ohtani during his previous start.