Paul Skenes Nearly Perfect Against Milwaukee, and the Brewers Still Can't Stop Him
Paul Skenes took the mound in enemy territory Friday night at American Family Field with a message for the Milwaukee Brewers: your days of getting to him are over. The 23-year-old Pirates righty, fresh off a 2025 National League Cy Young Award, flirted with baseball immortality, retiring the first 20 batters before Jake Bauers spoiled the party with a ground ball single. Skenes didn't stick around to try again, exiting after seven innings at 93 pitches in Pittsburgh's dominant 6-0 victory over Milwaukee.
This is what happens when the Brewers finally face the pitcher they'd bullied twice before. Last season, Milwaukee forced the NL's ERA leader (1.97) out of the game by the fifth inning in two separate matchups at American Family Field, plating four runs each time. Not this time. Skenes was locked in from the first pitch, and it wasn't until the sixth inning that the Brewers even managed to hit a ball out of the infield. He struck out seven and allowed just four hard-hit balls (95-plus mph), all of which came in the sixth or seventh.
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The No. 1 pick from the 2023 Draft is starting to make a habit of performances like this. Entering Friday, Skenes carried a 1.27 ERA over his past four starts. His 2.01 ERA through his first 61 Major League starts is the lowest by any pitcher through 60 starts during the Live Ball Era, dating back to 1920. That's not just good. That's historic territory for a kid who burst onto the big league scene with some of the most electric stuff in baseball.
Big Picture: Division Grind Starts Now
The win pushed the Pirates to 15-11 and marked the opening game of 10 straight matchups against NL Central division opponents. The Brewers fell to 13-12 in what turned out to be a crucial early season showdown. Pittsburgh needs performances like this if they're going to stay in the hunt as April winds down.
Watch for the Pirates when they square off against the Reds next, with a tour t-shirt giveaway coming May 2. Skenes just reminded everyone why he's the most dominant young pitcher in baseball right now.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.