Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly watched Paul Skenes deliver another dominant performance Tuesday night as the young ace carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning during the Pirates’ 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park.
As Skenes continued overpowering Colorado’s lineup throughout the game, Kelly admitted the possibility of a historic performance crossed his mind while watching from the dugout. “Paul is capable of pitching like this every time out. But, yeah, it crossed my mind that he might get (a no-hitter),” Kelly said according to MLB.com, after Skenes struck out 10 batters across eight scoreless innings.
The Pirates right-hander retired the first 14 hitters he faced and struck out the first six batters of the game before Mickey Moniak broke up the no-hit bid with a single in the seventh inning, as Nolan McLean chases Paul Skenes in the NL Cy Young race.
Skenes dominates Rockies lineup in another historic performance
Skenes controlled the game from the opening inning, consistently generating swings and misses while showcasing elite command throughout the outing. The 2024 National League Rookie of the Year allowed only two hits and did not issue a walk while throwing 98 pitches over eight innings.
Paul Skenes #30 of the Pirates pitches in the seventh inning against the Rockies. Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
Skenes continues building elite MLB resume
The dominant outing added to an already historic stretch for Skenes, who continues establishing himself as one of baseball’s top pitchers. Despite the near no-hitter, Skenes said he was not thinking about the milestone early in the game.
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“No. Just because it’s so early,” Skenes said. “There’s a lot of game left at that point.” The Pirates received offensive contributions from Nick Gonzales, Brandon Lowe, and Bryan Reynolds, while Gregory Soto secured the save in the ninth inning.
