PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes came out firing Tuesday night, and he never stopped.
The Pirates’ ace continued to be dominant over eight innings in a 3-1 victory over the Rockies in the opener of a three-game series.
Skenes struck out the first six Rockies hitters he faced and lost a no-hit bid with one out in the seventh on Mickey Moniak’s single. Moniak hit a liner into left-center field, and center fielder Oneil Cruz just missed making a diving catch.
“I ran so hard that I’ll tell you right now, I would not run after my kids like that,” Cruz said with a grin.
Skenes seemed happier about Cruz’s effort than he was disappointed by losing the no-hitter. Cruz went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.
"Obviously, that's probably really not a ball that you would lay out for, and seeing him lay out, that was kind of cool,” Skenes said. “He played a heck of a game."
Skenes was overpowering at the start of the game. He got Edouard Julien, Moniak and Hunter Goodman swinging in the first inning. In the second, Skenes punched out TJ Rumfield, Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston.
The way he was throwing, it wasn’t out of the question to think Skenes might throw a no-hitter – or even a perfect game.
“Paul is capable of pitching like this every time out,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “But, yeah, it crossed my mind that he might get (a no-hitter).”
Willi Castro ended the strikeout streak when he unsuccessfully attempted to bunt his way on base to open the third inning, drawing boos from the home crowd.
Unfazed by the bunt, Skenes retired the first 14 batters before losing his perfect game bid when he plunked Johnston with two outs in the fifth inning. Johnston was then thrown out trying to steal second base by catcher Henry Davis.
Skenes then set down four more batters before Moniak played spoiler.
Skenes (6-2) wound up allowing two hits -- Johnston doubled in the eighth -- while striking out 10 and walking none. He threw 98 pitches.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Skenes is the first Pirates pitcher in the Expansion Era (1961) to strike out the side in order three times in a game. The only MLB pitcher to do it four times in a game was the Cubs’ Kerry Wood on May 6, 1998, against the Astros in a 20-strikeout performance.
Also according to Elias, Skenes became one of four MLB pitchers in the Modern Era (since 1900) to pitch eight scoreless innings while allowing two or fewer hits and zero walks in consecutive starts, joining Cy Young (Red Sox, 1905), Billy Pierce (White Sox, 1958) and Mat Latos (Padres, 2010).
Skenes said his early dominance did not make him think it could be a special night.
"No. Just because it's so early,” he said. “There's a lot of game left at that point."
Skenes was coming off one of the best outings of his three-year career last Wednesday in Phoenix, when he shut out the Diamondbacks through eight innings before being lifted.
Gregory Soto pitched the ninth, and after allowing a run on an RBI double by Goodman, got his fourth save of the season to seal the win.
Despite being the National League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and Cy Young Award winner last season, Skenes has only one complete game in the big leagues, when he pitched eight innings in a road loss to the Phillies last May.
The Pirates scored all three of their runs on RBI singles, as Nick Gonzales hit one in the first inning, Brandon Lowe in the fifth and Bryan Reynolds in the seventh.