Skenes reacts to 1st home W, opposite action in 7-1 win

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Padres didn’t get a hit until the sixth inning and the only run on a solo home run, Paul Skenes goes 6.1 innings giving up two hits, the run, two walks and six strikeouts in a 7-1 Pirates win over San Diego Tuesday night.

Skenes best outing of the season throwing 87 pitches, 53 for strikes. Although he wasn’t that pleased.

“I felt pretty good the whole time,” Skenes said. “I wouldn’t say great, I wouldn’t say bad. It was solid all-around. I think the line’s probably a little bit better than it was, but I’m happy with it.”

The issue for Skenes was he wanted to throw a few more strikes.

That was followed up by 2.3 innings of one-hit bullpen work by Isaac Mattson, Gregory Soto and Yohan Ramirez.

Scoring

Pirates got all the runs they needed in the fifth inning, a well-placed single by Spencer Horwitz the other way to left with one out. Konnor Griffin rolled over on a pitch from Nick Pivetta down the third base line and beat out a throw by Manny Machado for an infield hit. After a Henry Davis pop-up and following a bad swing on the second strike, Oneil Cruz just flicks a two-out hit 69.1 mph the other way, Horwitz scored and Griffin flew all the way around from first base, diving into home without it being contested.

"It's game-changing when you see him get going like that down the line and to be able to score on some of those balls, I remember the one, those of you that were down there in spring, when he scored on the Red Sox when the short stop dove in the hole and he ends up scoring from second,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly. “It just adds another element of his game to the team to be able to put pressure on the other team."

It’s the fourth multi-RBI game for Cruz already this season.

Big 8

Bases loaded in the eighth, Nick Gonzales lined a single between the first baseman and the foul line for a pair of RBI, his first at PNC Park this season, 4-1 Bucs. Pinch-hitter Jake Mangum, 4-7 during the homestand, ripped one the other way to drive in Nick Yorke to make it 5-1. Konnor Griffin laced one 113.2 mph into left for RBIs two and three of his career, it’s 7-1.

10 oppo

Of the Pirates 12 hits on Tuesday, 10 were to the opposite field.

“The players approach to what we've been talking about, passing the baton, taking what they're going to give us, it was really good to see the guys go up there and be stubborn in that approach and continue to grind through the game and get those opposite field base hits, because that's how we're going to score runs, is stacking those together and to stay with it,” Kelly said. “Morejon is a really good reliever and to be able to stack at bats like that against him in that moment in a one-run game, that was really impressive."

“It’s winning baseball,” Skenes said. “It’s good to see, just playing the game the right way. Playing offense and handing it off to the next guy. That was fun to watch today, and it’s been fun to watch.”