Pirates Prospect Watch: Paul Skenes Shoves in Triple-A Debut

The Indianapolis Indians dropped their second consecutive game to begin the season, falling 4-3 to the Louisville Bats despite a virtuoso performance from Pirates 2023 first overall pick Paul Skenes and strong performances from the first four bats in their order, each of whom recorded two hits.

The big right-hander worked three perfect innings, striking out five batters in the process. Alas, professional baseball games last nine innings, and Louisville tagged Eric Lauer—serving as a reliever rather than a starter in this game—for a three-run homer in the fifth inning. 

Liover Pegeuro and Jake Lamb hit consecutive doubles in the seventh to tie the game, before Louisville catcher Michael Trautwein walked it off in the ninth with a solo home run. Here are some of the top performers from Saturday’s game beyond the aforementioned Skenes stat line.

Triple-A Indianapolis (0-2)

• CF Gilberto Celestino: 1-for-2 with two walks.
• LF Billy McKinney: 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
• 2B Liover Peguero: 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI.
• 1B Jake Lamb: 2-for-3 with a double and two walks.

The rest of the Pirates minor league clubs will begin their season on Friday, April 5.