Paul Skenes Threw a No-Hitter Into the 7th and Someone Actually Bunted On Him: Here's Why That Matters

Look, baseball's unwritten rules are weird. And they just got weirder. A batter bunted on Paul Skenes while he was absolutely in the zone, mowing down the entire lineup like it was nothing, and apparently that's now a thing people are mad about. But here's the thing: in a one-run game in the top of the 3rd inning? You gotta do whatever it takes to break his rhythm.

Skenes Is Playing a Different Sport Right Now

The guy is unreal. He took a no-hitter into the 7th inning and lowered his ERA to 1.98. Think about that for a second. He's been unstoppable since Opening Day, when something was off with him early. He only threw 0.2 innings that day and gave up 5 earned runs, which actually started his season at a 67.5 ERA. Since then? It's been a complete different story. He's basically been reading the newspaper out there while pitching, completely untouchable.

When You're Getting Dominated, You Fight Back

Here's the real take: if you're down in a close game and the other guy is dealing like Skenes was dealing, you have to try something. Anything. Bunting to get him off rhythm, trying to disrupt his flow, forcing him to think about something other than throwing gas past your hitters. That's not breaking an unwritten rule, that's playing baseball. Yeah, bunting in the 9th inning to break up a no-hitter in an 8-0 blowout? That's lame. Nobody's arguing that. But in the 3rd with the game on the line and Skenes looking untouchable? You gotta take a swing at getting in his head, literally and figuratively.

The unwritten rules are supposed to keep things respectful, but they shouldn't handcuff you from trying to win. Not when you're facing someone pitching like that. Get creative. Use every tool you've got. Because if you just sit there and let a guy deal without pushing back, you're gonna get absolutely lit up.

Looking Ahead

Skenes is the real deal and he's proven it. His numbers don't lie. But that's exactly why teams need to challenge him, bend those unwritten rules a little, and do everything in their power to disrupt him. That's baseball.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.