close
close
Skip to main content
metropolis
Paul Skenes shines in last start of rookie season, Pirates hit 5 homeruns and beat Yankees

Paul Skenes shines in last start of rookie season, Pirates hit 5 homeruns and beat Yankees

Vaseline 1 month ago

Paul Skenes had Jazz Chisholm bounce back from the plate with an inside fastball that fell just short of triple digits for a called third strike to end the second inning, then walked off the mound with a big smile.

The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander had a perfect ending to a historic rookie season, retiring all six New York Yankees he faced as he threw 17 of his 23 pitches for strikes over two innings.

Hitting out MLB home runs leader Aaron Judge to end the first inning, Chisholm looked at the kind of performance that could have earned Skenes, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, National League rookie of the year honors seal.

The Pirates gave Skenes the support he needed, hitting five home runs for a 9-4 victory over the AL East champions Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, tying their 2023 win total. The Pirates (76-85) will look for a sweep of the Yankees (93-68) in the season finale on Sunday at 3:05 p.m.

“He was outstanding,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Skenes on SportsNet Pittsburgh’s postgame show. “We knew it was going to be a shorter start, but he went out — this is a very tough lineup — and he executed pitches through the first six batters.”

Skenes finished his first professional season with team records of a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 170 strikeouts and a .198 batting average against. He threw 133 career innings over 23 starts, tying for the team lead with 15 quality starts and wins (11). Skenes threw a total of 160 1/3 innings, including 27 1/3 at Triple-A Indianapolis before his MLB debut on May 11.

And Skenes outpaced Yankees starter Luis Gil, a 26-year-old right-hander who is a leading AL rookie of the year candidate. Gil (15-7) allowed a season-high six runs on six hits – including four home runs – and one walk with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

“Definitely happy to finish the season and cool to do it here, cool to do it against this lineup,” Skenes said. “I wish I could keep going, but this is where we are now.”

Skenes wasted no time in touching triple digits, throwing a 100.3 mph fastball on his fourth pitch, causing Yankees leadoff hitter Jasson Dominguez to ground out to second.

Then Skenes put on a show against a pair of AL MVP candidates for an All-Star Game rematch, when Juan Soto walked before Skenes got Judge to ground into a force out to end the frame.

Soto, who ranks second behind Judge in on-base percentage, committed errors on three of the first four pitches he saw. Then the switch-hitting Soto hit a 99.8 mph inside fastball for a called third strike.

That brought the matchup everyone wanted: the 6-foot-2 Skenes against Judge, the 6-7, 285-pound slugger who entered the game leading the majors with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and a 1.163 OPS.

Skenes got a pair of called strikes, on a 100.8 mph fastball followed by an 80 mph slider, on his first two pitches. Judge took another 100 mph heater for a pitch and then fouled a 100.5 mph fastball. So Skenes switched it up and went to his breaking ball to get Judge to chase a 136.5 mph sweeper for a strikeout.

“I think he was really looking forward to pitching here,” Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal said in an on-field postgame interview with SportsNet Pittsburgh. “I’m glad he got the chance to do it. He clearly would have liked to stay a little longer. It seems like the bigger the moment, the better he gets. Our plan of attack was to go there and get right behind them. It turned out well.”

The Yankees had no more luck against Skenes in the second inning, which started with Austin Wells popping against first baseman Jared Triolo in foul territory. Skenes threw a 90 mph fastball that broke Giancarlo Stanton’s bat and brought a dribbler back to the mound. Chisholm scored 2-2, but Skenes followed an 80-mph changeup with a 99.6-mph fastball, followed by another called strike to finish with a swing.

Meanwhile, Gil retired the first five batters he faced before Grandal gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead by driving a fastball at the top of the strike zone, 350 feet down the right field line, for his ninth home run in the second inning.

After two perfect innings, Skenes was replaced in the third by 24-year-old right-hander Mike Burrows. Burrows (1-0), a former top-10 prospect before undergoing Tommy John surgery, earned his first MLB victory in his Major League debut by allowing one earned run on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

“That was awesome,” Burrows said of following Skenes. “He’s had such an incredible year. No one deserves the title of Rookie of the Year more. He’s an incredible thrower. I’m glad I could piggyback him today and get a win.”

The Yankees made Burrows work for it. Anthony Rizzo had an 11-pitch at-bat before hitting a sharp grounder to short, where Nick Gonzales made a spectacular backhand stop. Burrows then recorded his first strikeout, giving Oswaldo Cabrera a swinging 0-2 changeup.

Grandal led off the fifth with a single to right, and Billy Cook hit a two-run shot off Gil to left to give the Pirates a 4-0 lead. It was Cook’s third home run in 43 at bats since his promotion on September 8.

Chisholm hit a double to the right-field corner to score Wells and make it 6-4 in the eighth, ending Pirates reliever Dennis Santana’s streak of 21 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run.

But the Yankees loaded the bases against left-handed Jalen Beeks. That prompted the Pirates to turn to Aroldis Chapman to face Judge, who had struck out against four different pitchers in his first four at-bats.

As the Bronx crowd chanted “MVP” for Judge, Chapman got Judge to chase a full-count fastball outside for a strikeout, then Wells flew to left to end the game and earn his 14th save.

But the story of the game was Skenes and his grand finale.

“He’s doing things we haven’t seen anyone do before,” Shelton said. “Since he came along, it’s hard to argue that he’s not only been the rookie of the year, but one of the best pitchers in baseball with the things he’s done. To have a sub-2.00 ERA in his first year, especially in today’s era, that’s pretty special. We see a guy who is truly elite, has the ability to make pitches and has room for growth – which is nice to be a Pirates fan, if that’s the case.”

Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. He was born in Baldwin and graduated from Penn State. He joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at [email protected].