PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Tying a Pirates record with seven consecutive strikeouts and setting a Pirates record with them being the first seven batters of the game, Paul Skenes had an insane second start of his professional career.
Skenes finished giving up only a walk with no hits and 11 strikeouts after six innings. He threw 100 pitches for the first time in his professional career, 67 for strikes.
It was the first road start and at historic Wrigley Field. Here are some of notes from the 21-year-old right-handers Friday afternoon outing against the Cubs
· In the 1,017th career game at Wrigley Field, it’s the first time a Pirates pitcher struck out 11 batters.
· 2 batters shy of the Major League record of 9 strikeouts to start the game set by Miami’s Pablo Lopez in 2021
· 3rd rookie pitcher all-time to record 7 strikeouts to start a game
· Joins Jared Jones this year with 10+ strikeouts by a Pirates rookie pitcher, just the 21st double-digit strikeout game by a Bucs first-year starter
After the first seven by strikeout, a couple of ground balls before a pair of strikeouts and a ground out in the fourth. Skenes allowed his first fly ball to Christopher Morel in the fifth, followed by his first baserunner after a walk. The righty then got another strikeout and a groundout. In his final inning, a pair of groundouts and his final strikeout on a 100 mile-an-hour fastball.
Compared to greatness
How does the Skenes outing match the second start of some of the greatest strikeout pitchers of all-time and the strikeout leader from 2023.
Paul Skenes
· 6 innings, no hits, no runs, walk, 11 strikeouts
Roger Clemens
· 7 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, walk, 7 strikeouts
Nolan Ryan
· 6.2 innings, 3 hits, no runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Dwight Gooden
· 3.1 innings, 7 hits, 6 runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Randy Johnson
· 9 innings, 6 hits, run, walk, 11 strikeouts
AJ Burnett
· 5 innings, 4 hits, one earned run, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
Gerrit Cole
· 5.2 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, strikeout
Max Scherzer
· 6 innings, 5 hits, no earned runs, walk, 6 strikeouts
Justin Verlander
· 6 innings, 8 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
Spencer Strider
· 5.2 innings, 4 hits, no runs, walk, 8 strikeouts
Bob Gibson
· 10 innings, 6 hits, 2 earned runs, 8 walks, 8 strikeouts
Skenes is the fourth rookie pitcher all-time to go six innings allowing no hits and striking out 10-plus. It’s the first since Chris Heston’s no-hitter on June 9, 2015. Former Pirate Jim Bibby, then with Texas, and Houston’s Don Wilson each threw nine inning no-hitters.
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