Pirates ace Paul Skenes allows a career-worst five runs in loss to St.
Louis
[April 09, 2025]
By WILL GRAVES
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes
was knocked around by the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night, allowing
a career-high five runs in a 5-3 loss at frigid PNC Park.
Skenes (1-1), who was electric in his first two starts this season, was
spotty this time around. The 22-year-old reigning National League Rookie
of the Year allowed six hits with a walk and seven strikeouts as his ERA
more than doubled from 1.46 to 3.44. |
St. Louis Cardinals' Alec Burleson, rear, celebrates on first base after
driving in a run with a single off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul
Skenes during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh,
Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) |
|
Victor Scott II had two hits, including a
two-run triple off Skenes in the third. Brendan Donovan had two
hits for St. Louis and followed Scott's first-career three-base
hit with an RBI single that put the Cardinals up 3-0.
Sonny Gray (2-0) breezed through five innings for St. Louis,
surrendering just one run and three hits. Gray's only mistake
came on a sinker to Bryan Reynolds in the fourth that the
designated hitter sent into the right-field seats for his second
homer this season.
The Cardinals extended the lead to 5-1 in the sixth on an RBI
single by Alec Burleson and a run-scoring groundout by Pedro
Pages. Phil Maton picked up his first save when he got Tommy
Pham to line out to right to end it as the Cardinals won for
just the second time in eight games.
With a game-time temperature of 38 degrees and a wind chill that
dipped into the 20s, Skenes seemed primed for another dominant
performance when he raced through the first two innings.
Instead, three of the first four batters in the third reached
and all three scored on a night that Skenes was more hittable
than usual while throwing 63 of his 98 pitches for strikes.
Andrew McCutchen's run-scoring groundout in the ninth made him
the 221st player in major league history to with 1,100 RBIs.
Key moment
Scott, who played at West Virginia University about an hour
south of PNC Park, had the small crowd of 8,291 let out a
collective groan when he hit a soaring drive to the right-center
gap that provided substantial proof Skenes was a little more
hittable than usual.
Key stat
0-3. Skenes’ record in his brief career against the Cardinals.
Up next
The series continues on Tuesday. Mitch Keller (1-1, 7.45 ERA)
starts for Pittsburgh against Cardinals right-hander Erick Fedde
(1-1, 7.00).
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
|
