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.
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.
