Paul Skenes is pretty good at this pitching thing.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace dominated once again Sunday, throwing six scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Skenes lowered his season ERA to 1.83, slightly below his career 1.89 ERA.
That’s the lowest ERA any pitcher has recorded through his first 45 career starts in over a century. MLB researcher Sarah Langs noted that only Ferdie Schupp (1.64 in 1913-17) and Ernie Shore (1.78 in 1914-15) fared better during the dead-ball era.
Skenes hasn’t allowed a run in four of his last five starts. He’s posted a 0.66 ERA in July, amassing 36 strikeouts to just three walks in 27 spectacular innings.
The 23-year-old rarely allows runs, but he especially starts the game strong. Skenes hasn’t allowed a first-inning run in 27 consecutive starts dating back to last season. According to Langs, Skenes can obtain the longest scoreless first-inning streak to start a season since 1923 if he replicates the feat one more time.
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Skenes also finished Sunday on a high note. Don Kelly visited the mound with two out in the sixth, and fans at PNC Park cheered when he left the two-time All-Star in the game. Skenes rewarded his manager’s trust by generating a flyout on his next pitch.
During his post-game press conference, per SportsNet Pittsburgh’s coverage, Kelly told reporters that he wanted to check on his ace. Skenes threw 99 pitches, his highest tally since accruing 105 on June 19.
“Just wanted to make sure that he was in a good spot there to finish it off,” Kelly said, adding that Skenes told him he was “good to go.”
Skenes will test his hot hand at the high altitudes of Coors Field in his next scheduled start against the Colorado Rockies.
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