PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes didn't allow a baserunner for the first 6 2/3 innings of his outing in Milwaukee last Friday. Yet the Cardinals needed just three pitches to crack the code against the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner in Thursday afternoon’s series finale at PNC Park.
The 23-year-old Skenes allowed a leadoff home run to Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt -- measured at 107.7 mph off the bat, per Statcast -- after leaving a fastball over the heart of the plate. Moments later, following an infield single by Iván Herrera on a play that was initially ruled a throwing error by third baseman Nick Gonzales, Jordan Walker clubbed St. Louis’ second homer of the inning -- a two-run shot on another pitch left up in the zone; this time, a sweeper.
In the blink of an eye, the Pirates trailed the Cardinals, 3-0. It took Skenes 29 pitches to get through the opening frame, despite striking out the side.
It was just the second time Skenes has allowed multiple home runs in the same inning. (The other came on May 1 last season, when he allowed three home runs in the fifth inning vs. the Cubs).
Those two early swings accounted for the bulk of the Cardinals’ production against Skenes, but they were more than enough to plague his outing. A throwing error by shortstop Konnor Griffin in the top of the third inning later led to an unearned run. St. Louis’ fifth run of the game came in the fifth after Wetherholt slapped a base hit, then advanced on a wild pitch and scored on an Alec Burleson hit.
Skenes was replaced by Yohan Ramírez after pitching five innings and throwing 102 pitches (68 strikes) with Pittsburgh trailing, 5-3. He allowed five runs (four earned) off eight hits, but he didn't walk anybody while racking up a season-high nine strikeouts. His season ERA increased to 3.18.
Skenes threw his changeup 27% of the time, up from his usual 17%, while he used is fastball only 26% of the time, down from his usual 37%. It was his first time allowing more than one earned run since his Opening Day start in which he allowed five.