CLEVELAND -- Paul Skenes entered Sunday’s start as well rested as he’ll be in season. Skenes hadn’t pitched in a week and took full days off on Monday and Tuesday while participating in All-Star festivities.
Recharged for the second half, Skenes twirled his best start of the summer. The 24-year-old ace allowed one run in seven innings while striking out eight on 100 pitches in the Pirates’ 7-1 series-clinching victory over the Guardians at Progressive Field.
Skenes went the deepest into a game since May 12 (vs. Colorado), and became Pittsburgh’s first starter since Braxton Ashcraft on May 21 to go at least seven innings.
“Got some early outs, that helps,” Skenes said. “Not a ton of long at-bats. It's just that's pretty much what it adds up to. If you can get early outs and avoid the nine- or 10-pitch at-bats, it's a pretty good equation [to] get outs when you need to. It's a pretty good equation for going deep into games.”
Skenes carved through Cleveland’s lineup easily in the first frame, striking out two batters with his sinker and four-seam fastball, respectively. The Guardians attempted to play splits against Skenes, with eight of nine hitters batting from the left side.
Travis Bazzana, also a former first overall Draft pick, struck out looking on a sinker on the inner edge, setting the tone for Skenes’ day. Skenes used his sinker only four times Sunday, but he felt that if executed against Bazzana, it would result in an out.
In the second, Skenes forced hard contact to the right side for outs and struck out another batter. After a nine-game winless streak plagued his third MLB season and was capped with the worst start of his career in Philadelphia, Skenes rattled off two straight wins entering the All-Star break. Against Cleveland, Skenes allowed his first hit and run in the third inning.
Gabriel Arias reached on a single and advanced to third on a single from Petey Halpin. As the lineup turned over, Steven Kwan perfectly executed a squeeze bunt to score Arias, and Halpin advanced to third on the missed catch by Henry Davis at home plate. With the go-ahead run on third, Skenes struck out Bazzana and Davis threw out Kwan trying to steal second, ending the threat.
The Guardians nearly scored again in the fourth as Skenes walked a batter and allowed a single. But Billy Cook threw out a tagging runner from third base to keep the game tied at 1. Skenes then recorded his sixth strikeout to end the frame, tallying only 58 pitches through four innings.
Skenes worked through the fifth and walked a batter, his second of the day. Arias didn’t get past the second as a back pick from Davis resulted in an appeal that showed Arias failed to retouch second after crossing over toward first.
The Pirates pulled away with four runs across the fifth and sixth innings, and their defense helped with a magnificent play from Jake Mangum to cut down Kwan advancing to second.
As Skenes’ pitch count crept toward 100 in the seventh, Mason Montgomery warmed up in the bullpen. Each Pirates reliever except Wilber Dotel pitched in Saturday’s doubleheader, and made Skenes completing seven on Sunday that more valuable. Skenes picked off Khalil Watson at second base and struck out his final batter to end the seventh.
“Doubleheader yesterday, going 18 innings, to have Paul come out, go seven, and do what he does -- he was really good,” manager Don Kelly said. “Really efficient early on, and then found a way to navigate through a little bit of traffic. But felt like he was in command most of the time."
For a few starts, Skenes seemed to have lost himself. When facing the Guardians, Skenes proved yet again he’s still one of the best in the business, with a 2.45 ERA over his last three starts.