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Can Pirates' Paul Skenes continue to put Opening Day blowup in past?
TL;DR
Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates showed resilience by overcoming a tough second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, moving past his poor Opening Day performance. He managed to maintain a 2-0 lead despite facing a bases-loaded situation.
Key points
- Paul Skenes is a starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- He faced a bases-loaded situation against the Tampa Bay Rays.
- Skenes managed to maintain a 2-0 lead during the game.
Pittsburgh PiratesTampa Bay RaysPaul SkenesHunter Feduccia
Can Pirates' Paul Skenes continue to put Opening Day blowup in past? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes escaped.
Facing a bases-loaded, zero-outs situation in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays' clutch offense, Skenes on Saturday continued to distance himself from his disastrous Opening Day start.
Displaying his 2025 NL Cy Young award-winning composure, Skenes protected his early 2-0 advantage by inducing Hunter Feduccia to ground into a fielder's choice, with Richie Palacios getting called out via runner's interference.
Then he got Taylor Walls to strike out looking on a full-count, 98-mph four-seam fastball, painting the bottom of the strike zone. The Rays' shortstop challenged, but the call was upheld.
One of MLB's hottest hitters, Chandler Simpson, committed to swinging at all three splitters he was offered. The .338 hitter's groundout ended the inning.
The Rays haven't often let pitchers off the hook this season with runners on third base and fewer than two outs. Entering Saturday, they drove in 70 percent of their teammates in such situations, ranking third in the league.
Skenes, however, found a way to escape.
Q&A
What happened to Paul Skenes in his Opening Day start?
Paul Skenes had a disastrous Opening Day start, which he is now trying to move past.
How did Paul Skenes perform against the Tampa Bay Rays?
Skenes faced a bases-loaded situation but successfully induced a fielder's choice and struck out a batter, maintaining his team's lead.
What are the expectations for Paul Skenes this season?
Expectations are high for Skenes as he aims to showcase his potential as a future Cy Young award winner after his strong performance against the Rays.