CINCINNATI -- Pirates ace Paul Skenes rebounded from the shortest outing of his career to post five strong innings Wednesday and earn his first win of the season, 8-3, against Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park.
After allowing five runs on four hits, walking two and hitting a batter while retiring just two batters last Thursday, Skenes (1-1) allowed just one run on three hits, striking out five and walking two. He tossed 77 pitches (51 strikes) and lowered his season ERA from 67.50 to 9.53. Skenes left with a 4-1 lead thanks to an Oneil Cruz three-run homer off Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott (0-1) in the first.
Mason Montgomery relieved Skenes to start the sixth, and allowed a pinch-hit two-run homer to Eugenio Suárez as the Reds cut the Pirates’ lead to one run. But Isaac Mattson, Justin Lawrence and Gregory Soto finished off the final 3 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh’s first series victory of the season.
The Pirates have Thursday off before their home opener Friday afternoon against Baltimore.
Bryan Reynolds blasted a two-run homer deep to the seats in right in a four-run ninth for his 140th as a Pirate, moving him into sole possession of ninth place all-time in Pirates history.
Skenes didn’t give up a hit until Elly De La Cruz swatted a 90.1 mph changeup to right field for a single to open the bottom of the fourth. After Sal Stewart’s grounder moved De La Cruz to second, Nathaniel Lowe doubled him home, snapping Skenes’ scoreless streak against Cincinnati at 31 innings, dating to his first career start against the Reds on June 17, 2024.
Coming into Wednesday’s game, the opponent figured to be the perfect elixir for the flame-throwing Pittsburgh ace after his shortest career outing six days earlier against the Mets in Queens.
In five previous starts against the Reds, Skenes was 4-0 with a 0.31 ERA, covering 29 innings. He struck out 40 and walked just two batters. Skenes had not allowed a run against Cincinnati since the first inning of his first start against the Reds.
Like his Opening Day start last Thursday, Skenes had an early lead to work with, this time thanks to Cruz belting his third homer of the series and season, and his second in as many at-bats.
With two outs, Reynolds singled and Marcell Ozuna walked. Cruz then hopped all over a hanging curve from Abbott and unloaded it a Statcast-projected 407 feet to right for a 3-0 Pirates lead in the first.
Skenes needed a batter to find his rhythm, walking leadoff man TJ Friedl on five pitches. But unlike his outing against the Mets, he quickly found a groove, striking out Matt McLain and De La Cruz before retiring the red-hot Stewart on a force out at second.