Skenes thrives under one-run pressure: 'He loves it'
Paul Skenes didn't shy away from the pressure associated with keeping the Diamondbacks bats at bay in the Pirates' gritty 1-0 win here tonight at Chase Field.
The final result: A season-high eight scoreless innings -- his longest outing since June 3, 2025 when he lasted eight against the Astros -- in which he retired the first 14 batters he faced and limited the Diamondbacks to two fifth-inning hits. There were no walks, there were seven strikeouts, including three in his final inning of work, and an efficient 65 of 97 pitches for strikes.
"Really impressive, just dominant really," said HenryDavis, who has now been behind the plate for all eight of Skenes' starts this season. "The guy is 6-7, he’s an absolute giant and he throws 100. I think he’s made for any moment on the mound, but he loves (moments like these).”
There was little room for error with his team clinging to a one-run lead for all eight of his innings, but Skenes was unfazed through it all. He consistently attacked the zone, worked ahead of hitters and generated quick outs to keep the Diamondbacks from shifting the momentum, a task they could have achieved with one big swing of the bat. Skenes utilized every weapon in his arsenal, leaning on a four-seam that generated seven of his 13 whiffs, and was as efficient as he's ever been. He never threw more than 17 pitches in an inning and threw 12 pitches or fewer in four different innings.
"It always just goes back to execution," Skenes said. "It’s not easy, but it’s simple. If you execute your pitches, it’s gonna go the way you want it to. We got the lead early today. It’s nice to get it in the first compared to the sixth, seventh or eighth. Those games are fun to pitch in, for sure."
Above all else, Skenes didn't shy away from the challenge of facing hitters with his back against the wall. He was dominant and no one could really touch him, as the case has been on most occasions during a season in which Skenes has boasted the seventh-best ERA (2.36), seventh-most strikeouts (46), second-best opposing batting average against (.156) and best WHIP (0.71) among pitchers in the National League.
On this night, he showed why he's arguably the best pitcher in baseball and, when his team needed him most, he took his game to another level and thrived in the process.
"I think it's a mentality that he wants it," DonKelly said. "He wants to be out there and be in that spot. He pitched like it tonight."
THE ASYLUM
Skenes thrives under one-run pressure: 'He loves it'
Paul Skenes didn't shy away from the pressure associated with keeping the Diamondbacks bats at bay in the Pirates' gritty 1-0 win here tonight at Chase Field.
Even when there were scoring chances that slipped away and just one run of support via a first-inning homer by Brandon Lowe, Skenes embraced the opportunity to ensure that one run would be enough.
The final result: A season-high eight scoreless innings -- his longest outing since June 3, 2025 when he lasted eight against the Astros -- in which he retired the first 14 batters he faced and limited the Diamondbacks to two fifth-inning hits. There were no walks, there were seven strikeouts, including three in his final inning of work, and an efficient 65 of 97 pitches for strikes.
"Really impressive, just dominant really," said Henry Davis, who has now been behind the plate for all eight of Skenes' starts this season. "The guy is 6-7, he’s an absolute giant and he throws 100. I think he’s made for any moment on the mound, but he loves (moments like these).”
There was little room for error with his team clinging to a one-run lead for all eight of his innings, but Skenes was unfazed through it all. He consistently attacked the zone, worked ahead of hitters and generated quick outs to keep the Diamondbacks from shifting the momentum, a task they could have achieved with one big swing of the bat. Skenes utilized every weapon in his arsenal, leaning on a four-seam that generated seven of his 13 whiffs, and was as efficient as he's ever been. He never threw more than 17 pitches in an inning and threw 12 pitches or fewer in four different innings.
"It always just goes back to execution," Skenes said. "It’s not easy, but it’s simple. If you execute your pitches, it’s gonna go the way you want it to. We got the lead early today. It’s nice to get it in the first compared to the sixth, seventh or eighth. Those games are fun to pitch in, for sure."
Above all else, Skenes didn't shy away from the challenge of facing hitters with his back against the wall. He was dominant and no one could really touch him, as the case has been on most occasions during a season in which Skenes has boasted the seventh-best ERA (2.36), seventh-most strikeouts (46), second-best opposing batting average against (.156) and best WHIP (0.71) among pitchers in the National League.
On this night, he showed why he's arguably the best pitcher in baseball and, when his team needed him most, he took his game to another level and thrived in the process.
"I think it's a mentality that he wants it," Don Kelly said. "He wants to be out there and be in that spot. He pitched like it tonight."
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