Paul Skenes has ended the season on a high note, ending a great first season for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 22-year-old has been dominant all season for Pittsburgh, likely locking in the National League Rookie of the Year award. On Saturday, he took the mound for the final time against the American League East-winning New York Yankees. A major start for him with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto set to tee off on the right-handed starter. Well, it was Skenes who won both of those battles.
Skenes struck out Soto looking in the first inning, following up with taking down the AL MVP-favorite Judge swinging. The starter would only go for two innings on the day to end his season, finishing with three total strikeouts while allowing no one on base. The Pirates went on to win the game by a score of 9-4 thanks to five home runs from Yasmani Grandal, Nick Gonzales, Billy Cook, Jared Triolo, and Nick Yorke.
Pittsburgh’s star rookie ends his rookie campaign with an 11-3 record and a minuscule 1.96 ERA. Add in an impressive 170 strikeouts and 0.95 WHIP over 23 starts to fully appreciate the record-setting year from Skenes.
The Pirates will close out their 2024 regular season on Sunday against the Yankees. First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. EST.
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Featured image via Brad Penner/Imagn Images