Pirates
Skenes Shoves, Pirates Pour it on in Fifth Inning to Down Reds
PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes had a stellar performance and the Pittsburgh Pirates batted around in the fifth inning to take down the Cincinnati Reds 7-0 at PNC Park on Thursday night.
Recap
Skenes (8-2) delivered one of his best starts of the second half. The rookie right-hander blanked the Reds (62-66) across six innings and allowed only a pair of hits. He walked one batter and struck out nine – tied for the third-most punchouts he’s had in a game this season.
Thanks to his efforts, Skenes lowered his season ERA to 2.16, the best mark for a starting pitcher in baseball since making his debut on May 11.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, Bryan Reynolds reached on an infield single to give the Pirates (60-67) a 1-0 lead. Following Reynolds, Joey Bart was plunked by Nick Lodolo to give the Pirates another run and end the Reds’ starter’s night.
Jakob Junis relieved Lodolo (9-6) and promptly surrendered a bases-clearing double to Bryan De La Cruz. Oneil Cruz then drove in De La Cruz with a base hit up the middle to cap off a six-run inning.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Yasmani Grandal connected on a solo home run, his sixth of the season, to put the Pirates ahead 7-0.
Yaz goes YARD pic.twitter.com/BWlYSlidux
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 23, 2024
Ben Heller and Hunter Stratton covered the final three innings to seal the win.
Key Moment
It looked like the Pirates would leave the bases loaded in the fifth after Reynolds’ bounced one to Elly De La Cruz. The Reds’ shortstop flipped to second but Isiah Kiner-Falefa beat the throw but wandered too far off the bag. The Reds had Kiner-Falefa caught in between second and third but failed to record an out, opening up the floodgates for the Pirates.
Star of the Game
Paul Skenes’ efforts on the mound resulted in his second-straight win. His nine strikeouts were the most he’s had in a game since striking out 11 in seven no-hit innings against the Brewers on July 11.
Stat to Know
Bryan De La Cruz doubled to right in the fourth inning. It was his first extra-base hit since he was acquired by the Pirates (66th at-bat). He added another double in his very next at-bat.
Noteworthy
- With his RBI-single, Cruz extended his on-base streak to 14 games, the third-longest streak by a Pirates’ player this season.
- Bryan De La Cruz finished with three hits and Reynolds chipped in a pair.
Up Next
It’ll be a battle of southpaws on Friday night when the Pirates and Reds meet again on Friday night. Bailey Falter (6-7, 4.02 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh opposite Andrew Abbott (10-10, 3.72 ERA). First pitch: 6:40 ET.