Paul Skenes was on top of his game during the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 6-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. He fired six shutout innings at PNC Park, yielding three hits and one walk while striking out nine in the rubber game of the series.
Notably, Skenes threw 99 pitches — his most since June 19. That was the last time he’d thrown more than 88 pitches, as he’d averaged just 81.6 pitches and five innings over his previous five starts.
That was by design, as manager Don Kelly has been lifting him early to keep his innings count down. On Sunday, however, he rode with his ace a bit longer than usual.
With Skenes approaching 100 pitches in the top of the sixth, Kelly came out of the dugout to check on him with two outs and nobody on, prompting boos from Pirates fans. He left Skenes in the game, earning cheers from the crowd as he walked off the mound.
The two-time All-Star immediately rewarded his skipper, getting the third out on one pitch — his 99th and final one of the afternoon.
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During his postgame interview, Skenes had a hilarious response when asked about the booing.
“I understand. I was a fan, I did the same thing,” he told reporters.
The 23-year-old isn’t far removed from being a fan himself, so he gets why Pittsburgh fans weren’t thrilled to see Kelly meet with Skenes, especially with his team up 3-0 and in no sign of danger.
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Pirates fans have been critical of Kelly’s early hooks when it comes to Skenes, especially in close games that Pittsburgh ended up losing. In starts where Skenes hasn’t completed six innings, the Pirates are just 2-5.
The goal is to keep Skenes healthy and preserve his arm, of course, which fans understand. But nobody wants to see their team’s ace come out of a game, especially when he’s pitching well.
Kelly doesn’t usually listen to the fans, nor should he. But on Sunday, at least, they got what they wanted.
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Featured image via Stephen Brashear/Imagn Images