The rain might have limited PaulSkenes to just four innings and 64 pitches, but his presence was still felt here tonight at PNC Park.
Skenes allowed three hits without surrendering a walk and struck out five batters -- three with the fastball and two with his sinker -- to keep the Rays' bats at bay.
“A short outing,” Skenes said afterwards. “But I felt like the execution was pretty good.”
It wasn't an outing that lacked an obstacle to overcome, though. Skenes was faced with a bases-loaded jam in the second inning after JakeFraley and RichiePalacios singled and CedricMullins reached on a catcher's interference call on HenryDavis. HunterFeduccia was retired on a runner's interference call, which started a string of nine straight batters being retired by Skenes. He struck out TaylorWalls and got ChandlerSimpson to ground out to come away unscathed in the second.
"It was just frustrating that it took long but came back and had a couple of good innings after that," said Skenes. "Yeah, wasn't worried about the weather."
Skenes has come a long way since that rough opening day start in New York. He's allowed three runs, walked five and struck out 22 in 21 1/3 innings over four starts and has watched his ERA drop from 67.50 to 3.27. He miraculously, given how the season started, ranks in the top 20 among National League pitchers in that category.
THE ASYLUM
Skenes escapes danger in shortened start
The rain might have limited Paul Skenes to just four innings and 64 pitches, but his presence was still felt here tonight at PNC Park.
Skenes allowed three hits without surrendering a walk and struck out five batters -- three with the fastball and two with his sinker -- to keep the Rays' bats at bay.
“A short outing,” Skenes said afterwards. “But I felt like the execution was pretty good.”
It wasn't an outing that lacked an obstacle to overcome, though. Skenes was faced with a bases-loaded jam in the second inning after Jake Fraley and Richie Palacios singled and Cedric Mullins reached on a catcher's interference call on Henry Davis. Hunter Feduccia was retired on a runner's interference call, which started a string of nine straight batters being retired by Skenes. He struck out Taylor Walls and got Chandler Simpson to ground out to come away unscathed in the second.
"It was just frustrating that it took long but came back and had a couple of good innings after that," said Skenes. "Yeah, wasn't worried about the weather."
Skenes has come a long way since that rough opening day start in New York. He's allowed three runs, walked five and struck out 22 in 21 1/3 innings over four starts and has watched his ERA drop from 67.50 to 3.27. He miraculously, given how the season started, ranks in the top 20 among National League pitchers in that category.
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