Pittsburgh Pirates rookie ace Paul Skenes continues to put up notable performances every time he pitches, and Thursday was no exception.
All he did was toss seven no-hit innings against first-place Milwaukee and match his career high with 11 strikeouts while walking only one.
Of his 99 pitches, the flamethrower threw 65 for strikes.
The Pirates went to the bullpen to start the eighth, and reliever Colin Holderman promptly gave up the first Milwaukee hit two pitches into the frame.
Still, Aroldis Chapman closed out the ninth with a save, preserving the Bucs’ 1-0 victory and the remarkable exhibition of pitching.
MLB posted a video of a nasty toss by Skenes and celebrated his remarkable game against the powerful Brewers.
Rookie Paul Skenes PULLED after throwing SEVEN NO-HIT innings against the first-place Brewers 👀@BRWalkoff
He also tied his career-high with ELEVEN strikeouts 🔥
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/wVI5BsyZGE
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 11, 2024
Baseball fans had much to say about Skenes’ latest gem and his getting pulled before being allowed to finish what he started.
I mean, I get it. They want to keep him in shape and they do not want to over exert him. Still though, incredible play
— Prop It Like It’s Hot (@propitlikeit) July 11, 2024
That slider is dirty. So much movement.
— Nick Brown (@NickBrownCO) July 11, 2024
He only stays in if it were a perfect game. He will be in this same exact spot again this season..
— Snapback Bets (@snapbackbets) July 11, 2024
Smart, no reason to leave him in the extra two innings unless it’s for a perfect game.
— POG ® (@PogDigital) July 11, 2024
The LSU product now has 11 major league starts and sports a shiny 1.90 ERA and a 6-0 record.
Besides putting up numbers that rank with the best starts by a pitcher in history, he has quickly established himself as one of the premier hurlers in the game.
He is set to be an All-Star despite not debuting with the major league club until May 11, and he is clearly the man to beat for the NL Rookie of the Year honor.
The young Pirates are improving, though they are still looking up at the last NL Wild Card spot.
And they may have baseball’s brightest star east of Los Angeles and Shohei Ohtani on their staff to wow fans and make history.
