Paul Skenes was once again in full control Thursday night, striking out eight batters over six shutout innings in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 win over Cincinnati. He allowed seven hits, the most of his young career, but lowered his ERA to 1.94 and stretched his personal scoreless streak to 27 2⁄3 innings. Skenes’ streak of 46 straight starts allowing six hits or fewer to begin a career—surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s 31-game mark, came to an end, yet he remained unblemished on the scoreboard, extending his career record against the Reds to 4-0 with a microscopic 0.39 ERA in those matchups.
The Pirates struck first against Reds starter Brady Singer, as Bryan Reynolds crushed a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the first. Singer then walked three straight batters, setting up Jared Triolo for a two-run single that put Pittsburgh ahead to stay. Spencer Horwitz chipped in with an RBI single in the fourth inning, Oneil Cruz added an RBI groundout in the sixth, and Henry Davis capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the seventh, his first long ball in nearly two months, to put the exclamation point on the night.
It was Pittsburgh’s 14th shutout of the season, second most in Major League Baseball, showcasing both starting and relief dominance. After Skenes’ exit, Cam Sanders, Ryan Borucki and Kyle Nicolas combined for three scoreless innings, preserving the club’s 14th zeros on the year and improving the Pirates to 50-66 overall.
Looking ahead to Friday’s matchup, the Reds will turn to right-hander Chase Burns (0-3, 6.04 ERA) as they aim to bounce back. Pittsburgh counters with veteran Mitch Keller (5-10, 3.89 ERA), who seeks to build off Thursday’s strong outing from his predecessor and keep the series in the Bucs’ favor at PNC Park
(photo courtesy of MLB.com)