Paul Skenes made history in the MLB on Tuesday when he suffered his first loss in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.
Despite the outcome, the blame for the Pirates’ defeat cannot solely be placed on the rookie sensation. Skenes now holds a record of 6-1 in his 12 starts with impressive stats including a 1.93 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 97 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 74 2/3 innings pitched.
Although Monday’s game resulted in a loss for Skenes, it did not significantly impact his overall performance this season.
During the game, Skenes started strong with a perfect first inning that ended with a strikeout. He only allowed his first baserunner in the third inning but managed to retire the next few batters. However, a mistake in the fifth inning led to Nolan Arenado hitting a solo home run, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
Despite this setback, Skenes bounced back and retired the next 12 Cardinals. In the ninth inning, he gave up a leadoff double to Michael Siani, who later scored the winning run for the Cardinals.
Skenes finished the game with two earned runs, four hits, one home run, no walks, and eight strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings pitched.
St. Louis pitcher Lance Lynn also delivered a strong performance, pitching five scoreless innings before the Cardinals’ bullpen secured the win.