PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The number of pitches and innings completed continue to reach career-highs as 2023 first-overall pick Paul Skenes with another impressed outing in AAA on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old threw 75 pitches, 53 for strikes in going six shutout innings allowing four hits (one double, second extra-base hit allowed this season), a walk and seven strikeouts. He was challenged in the third with two-on and one-out but got a softly hit ground ball and a fly out to center field to end the inning.
His first pitch of the game was 100.4 miles-an-hour. The first strikeout came on a slider at 84.4 mph. He threw a 100 miles-an-hour pitch in the sixth inning before leaving to start the seventh.
Skenes outings this year
· March 30 3 innings/0 hits/0 runs/0 walks/5 strikeouts
· April 5 3 innings/1 hit/0 runs/1 walk/6 strikeouts
· April 12 3.1 innings/3 hits/0 runs/1 walk/8 strikeouts
· April 18 3.1 innings/1 hit/0 runs/2 walks/8 strikeouts
· April 24 4.1 innings/5 hits/2 runs/1 earned run/1 walk/7 strikeouts
· April 30 6 innings/4 hits/0 runs/1 walk/7 strikeouts
Quinn Priester is coming off his best outing of the season. Bailey Falter was once the obvious thought to come out of the rotation, but is the second-most consistent starter this season.
Skenes is scheduled to start again on Sunday. The Pirates are home to the Rockies on Sunday where Falter’s spot in the rotation falls.