PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The youngest Pirates starting pitcher to make a start on his birthday since 1915, Paul Skenes lined up K’s instead of candles as the Pirates won 10-2 Wednesday in Detroit to spilt a doubleheader.
Skenes got the first Tigers batter on three pitches to start the game and struck out the next as well. He gave up a run in the second, although probably wouldn’t have with better defense. He would get a 1-2-3, third and fourth innings, striking out the side in the fourth. Overall, six innings, three hits, two runs, a walk and nine strikeouts with 96 pitches, 70 for strikes.
Skenes nine whiffs of Tigers batters set a Major League record for most strikeouts by a pitcher on his 22nd birthday besting Don Drysdale and a few others with eight. Drysdale struck out eight Pirates back in 1958. Skenes also joins Don Robinson and Al Marnaux as Bucco pitchers who made starts on their 22nd birthday as Pirates. In two career road starts, Skenes has struck out 20 in 12 innings while batters are 3-for-38 against him.
Andrew McCutchen got the Pirates on the board with his 1,600th hit in black and gold, a three-run homer in the third inning. He would double and score in the seventh inning and single home a run in the eighth. The 37-year-old is the oldest Pirates player since Willie Stargell to have a four-RBI game and his most driven in since August 19 of last season.
Nick Gonzales homered and drove in a pair of runs, in 17 starts in the majors this year, the 2020 first-round pick has five multi-RBI games. Oneil Cruz tripled home a run and Connor Joe, Bryan Reynolds and Jared Triolo drove in runs.
Struggling a lot recently, the Pirates bullpen, Aroldis Chapman (7th inning), Colin Holderman (8th inning) threw three scoreless innings.
Pirates lost the first game of the doubleheader 8-0.
Up Next
Thursday is an off day for the Pirates as they take a short flight to Toronto for the first of three on Friday. It’s Bailey Falter’s turn in the rotation followed by Mitch Keller and then Martin Perez’s spot, which must be filled with the lefty on the injured list. The North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show begins at 6p on Friday with first pitch at 7:07p on 93.7 The Fan.