Former Cy Young winner Paul Skenes continued his dominant run, delivering another masterful performance on the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On May 13 at PNC Park, Skenes threw eight innings of two-hit, shutout ball against the Colorado Rockies, striking out 10 batters while leading his team to a 3-1 victory. The win improved his season record to 6-2 and lowered his ERA from 2.36 to 1.98.
According to Baseball Savant, Skenes threw 98 pitches in the outing, averaging 96.5 mph (155.3 km/h) on his four-seam fastball. He mixed in 22 sweepers, 17 changeups, 11 splitters, and 9 sinkers, maintaining his velocity into the eighth inning with a 95.8 mph (154.2 km/h) fastball.
It was his second consecutive start with eight scoreless innings, following a similar performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 7. Skenes has now posted a 0.00 ERA in May.
The 2024 National League Rookie of the Year and last season’s NL Cy Young winner started the year in nightmarish fashion. On March 27 against the New York Mets, he lasted just two-thirds of an inning, allowing four hits and five earned runs, ballooning his ERA to 67.50. However, he has since rebounded with remarkable consistency, dropping his ERA to the 3.00 range on April 19, then to the 2.00 range on April 25, and finally into the 1.00 range after his latest gem.
