Paul Skenes’ domination is nothing new. Dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers is another story. Skenes threw six shutout innings against Los Angeles on Thursday, earning the win and completing the sweep for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
As usual, Skenes’ fastball was excellent, setting up the rest of his arsenal. He located it at the top of the zone frequently, averaging 98.2 mph. He generated eight whiffs on 39 pitches, a 20% swinging strike rate.
It wasn’t just his fastball, though. His changeup location was pristine, living low and on the arm-side. The slow ball generated three whiffs. His curveball and sweeper each returned a swinging strike as well.
Skenes’ final line reads six innings, two hits, one walk and eight strikeouts. The only Dodger to reach second base against Skenes was Dalton Rushing via a double in the third inning. Following the outing, his ERA dropped to 1.98, best in the National League among qualified pitchers.
The Pirates’ ace doesn’t always get run support, but the lineup came through on Thursday. Tommy Pham singled in a run in the third inning against Dodgers starter Blake Snell. In the fifth inning, the Pirates rallied for four more runs. The Dodgers fought back in the ninth, scoring three, but the Pirates held on to win the game 5-3, completing the series sweep.
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The Pirates have now won 11 of their last 14 games. Their record under interim manager Don Kelly is 52-51. While playoffs are out of reach, the future is looking bright for the Buccos.
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