The Paul Skenes experience continued this week during the Pittsburgh Pirates’ clash opposite the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Skenes on Tuesday had the longest outing of his young career. He had not pitched more than 7.0 innings over his first 11 starts. Against the Cardinals, the 22-year-old remained on the mound in the 9th.
The game was tied 1-1 when Skenes entered the game in the final inning. He had given up just two hits and one earned run through his first eight innings pitched (IP).
The home crowd let Skenes know how much they appreciated his dominance. Pirates fans gave Skenes a standing ovation and even showered him with MVP chants.
Paul Skenes takes the mound for the 9th inning and Pittsburgh is HYPED! pic.twitter.com/A0w6tFQG1p
— MLB (@MLB) July 24, 2024
Paul Skenes was getting MVP chants as he entered in the 9th pic.twitter.com/eskmgtg9MX
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 24, 2024
However, a leadoff double from Michael Siani and an RBI single from Masyn Winn spoiled what was a memorable scene for the Pirates phenom. The run scored gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead, which the Pirates were unable to overcome in the bottom of the 9th.
The loss was the first of Skenes’ career. Despite not getting enough run support, the Pirates star still finished with a stellar line: 4 hits, 2 earned runs, and 8 strikeouts across 8.1 IP.
