Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top pitching prospect, saw his scoreless streak come to an end at 14 innings on Wednesday afternoon in Omaha. The highly-rated right-hander had allowed just two hits and struck out 17 batters in his first four starts of the season, but the Omaha Storm Chasers managed to scratch across two runs against him in the fifth inning of their matchup.
Skenes struck out three of the first four batters he faced, but CJ Alexander hit an 87.5-mph slider over the middle for a triple to center field. Nick Eaton then hit a 94.7-mph splitter for an RBI single, and Skenes’ throwing error on a Devanney grounder allowed another run to score.
Despite the setback, Skenes still showed flashes of his potential. He topped 99 mph 21 times with his four-seam fastball, and he threw 50 of his 71 pitches for strikes (70.4%). He also pitched into the fifth inning for the first time as a pro.
The Pirates are still very high on Skenes’ potential, and he remains one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. However, this outing is a reminder that even the most talented young players can have their struggles as they adjust to the higher levels of the minor leagues.
