Current:Home > InvestPaul Skenes blew away Shohei Ohtani in their first meeting. The two-time MVP got revenge. -×
Paul Skenes blew away Shohei Ohtani in their first meeting. The two-time MVP got revenge.
View
Date:2025-04-18 07:40:44
Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani exchanged greetings on the baseball field in a manner befitting the hardest-throwing phenom and the greatest two-way talent in the game.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie making his fifth career start, blew away Ohtani on three pitches — 101.3, 100.1 and 100.8 mph — that the Los Angeles Dodgers star swung and whiffed at in their first encounter Wednesday night at PNC Park.
But the two-time MVP didn't need more than two tries to welcome Skenes to the big leagues.
Ohtani turned around a 100-mph fastball in the third inning, sending it 415 feet and over the fence in straightaway center field for his 15th home run, showing the rookie that it's not so easy to slip pure heat by the Dodgers DH.
Yet it's one of a precious few mistakes Skenes made in Wednesday's 10-6 triumph, as he picked up his third win in five outings, striking out eight Dodgers in five innings.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
Oh, Ohtani got him again, singling to right in the fifth to put two runners on in a 7-3 game. But Ohtani's single was sandwiched by Skenes punchouts against the other MVPs in L.A.'s lineup. He caught Mookie Betts looking on a full-count 100-mph fastball on the outside corner, and Freddie Freeman on a 0-2 fastball that dotted the bottom of the zone at 99 mph.
After a Will Smith single loaded the bases, Skenes induced a groundout from Teoscar Hernandez and exited with a 7-3 lead. The Pirates went on to claim their second consecutive win over the NL West-leading Dodgers.
Skenes is still less than a year removed from the Pirates selecting him No. 1 overall from LSU, yet his resume remains nearly spotless. He has 38 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched and a 3.00 ERA, and the Pirates are 4-1 in his starts. He walked just one on Wednesday, bringing his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 38-to-6.
Now, add another bullet point to that list: A split decision against the game's greatest talent.
veryGood! (33)
Related
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- 8 killed after head-on crash in California farming region
- AP VoteCast: Takeaways from the early Republican primary elections
- Honor for Chris Chelios in Patrick Kane's Chicago return is perfect for Detroit Red Wings
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Did Utah mom Kouri Richins poison her husband, then write a children's book on coping with grief?
- Oppenheimer movie dominates SAG Awards, while Streisand wins lifetime prize
- Jon Hamm and Wife Anna Osceola Turn 2024 SAG Awards into Picture Perfect Date Night
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- 'Oppenheimer' looks at the building of the bomb, and its lingering fallout
Ranking
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Robert Downey Jr.'s Shoutout to Wife Susan at the 2024 SAG Awards Proves She's the Real Avenger
- Decade's old missing person case solved after relative uploads DNA to genealogy site
- In light of the Alabama court ruling, a look at the science of IVF
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Everybody Wants to See This Devil Wears Prada Reunion at the 2024 SAG Awards
- These Candid 2024 SAG Awards Moments Will Make You Feel Like You Were There
- Billie Eilish autographs Melissa McCarthy's face with Sharpie during SAG Awards stunt
Recommendation
What to watch: O Jolie night
Sister Wives' Meri Brown and Amos Andrews Break Up
The NFL should be ashamed of itself that Eric Bieniemy has to coach in college
Video shows 7 people being rescued after seaplane crashes near PortMiami: Watch
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Grammy winner Allison Russell discusses controversy surrounding Tennessee lawmakers blocking a resolution honoring her
Alpha Artificial Intelligence AI4.0 - Destined to be a Revolutionary Tool in the Investment World
Ex-FBI informant charged with lying about Bidens will appear in court as judge weighs his detention