Skenes struck out a career-tying 11 batters over seven innings of no-hit ball.
Paul Skenes had the chance to do something that hasn’t been done in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform since 1997.
In his 11th career start, Skenes dominated the Milwaukee Brewers in a 1-0 victory to take two of three from the NL Central division leaders. The Pirates All-Star delivered seven no-hit innings and struck out a career-tying 11 batters in 99 pitches.
Skenes was six outs away from history Thursday afternoon, but the Pirates pulled the 22-year-old righty after seven frames in favor of the bullpen. They made the wrong decision.
Skenes plowed through Brewers hitters like a riding mower through grass and showed no signs of slowing down. He only needed six pitches to get through the seventh. No one reached base for the Brewers since the second inning. Skenes easily punched out Milwaukee hitters and made them look foolish at the plate.
Derek Shelton took him out of the game with a no-hitter on the line and the best pitcher in baseball cruising to a victory. Colin Holderman entered the eighth and immediately allowed a base hit.
Look, 20 more pitches the way he was throwing would not prevent Paul Skenes from having an incredibly long career. He threw as many as 123 pitches last year at LSU and 120 pitches or more three times. You keep him IN THE GAME. Taking him out is just a disservice.
Skenes threw 61 pitches through three innings. The alarming number shrunk to 93 after six. He’s thrown as many as 107 pitches this season… it came during his last start six days ago against the New York Mets. I don’t get it. I understand trying to be careful, but Skenes is a young, powerful pitcher who takes care of his body better than almost anyone. The Pirates are still keeping some of the training wheels on. But maybe my problem is more with baseball and its dumb philosophy that 100 pitches is the magic number where a starting pitcher HAS to come out of the game.
It’s paralysis of analysis, trusting analytics, and not how Skenes filled up the zone and looked eager to return to the mound for the eighth. It doesn’t feel right to me to take the opportunity away, but baseball has made us believe taking him out is the right decision based on pitch counts and injury prevention, despite many star pitchers still dealing with arm injuries.
Does Shelton regret taking out Skenes?
“Not at all. He was tired,” Shelton said. “It didn’t have anything to do with the pitch count. Everybody makes it about the pitch count; it was about where he was at.”
Skenes is the first player in MLB history to be drafted No. 1 overall and make the All-Star Game the following season. The big man proved why he deserves to go to the Mid-Summer Classic, and that he should be the National League starter.
Paul Skenes has tied his career high with 11 strikeouts in a single game. pic.twitter.com/8ZwxkGHaft
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 11, 2024
This whole idea that if you throw more than 100 pitches, your arm is going to fall off is ridiculous. Skenes will throw one inning in five days at the All-Star Game in Texas and have a plethora of days off before his next start. If the eighth got out of control, ok, I get it. But we weren’t there.
If Skenes could have completed the deal, it would have marked the seventh no-hitter in Pirates history and the first since Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon combined to no-hit the Houston Astros at Three Rivers Stadium on July 12, 1997 — 27 years ago, tomorrow.
It’s the second time Skenes has been pulled with a no-hitter. He also left the game without allowing a hit in his second-career start on May 17 at Wrigley Field against the Cubs over six innings. Skenes becomes the second pitcher since 1901 to record multiple starts of no-hits allowed and 11 or more strikeouts, joining Nolan Ryan in 1973. He’s unbelievable to watch.
If Skenes stayed in the game, he would have completed the job. He’s earned the right to pitch a no-hitter. Maybe the third time will be the charm.