Paul Skenes Flirts With Perfect Game in Pirates’ Win Over Brewers; Happy Birthday Konnor Griffin!

Top 6th, 4-0 PIT: Horwitz tacked on another for the Pirates (15-11) with an RBI single up the middle off Shane Drohan, who relieved Woodruff after five innings.

Top 8th, 6-0 PIT: With the bases loaded against Drohan, Griffin capped off his big night with a two-run single to center.

Key Moments

Home run No. 1 in the career of Konnor Griffin:

Jake Bauers ended Paul Skenes’ perfect game bid with a dribbler through the right side with two outs in the seventh inning.

Player of the Game

Konnor Griffin had a birthday he’ll never forget with his first home run and career-highs in hits (three) and RBI (three). Paul Skenes (4-1) was pretty much untouchable against the Brewers (13-12). Skenes threw seven-scoreless of one-hit ball.

They’ll share the honor tonight.

Stat to Know

Konnor Griffin is the third player since at least 1900 to homer on his birthday at age 20 years or younger. The others are Aramis Ramirez (1998) and Buddy Lewis (1936) — both of whom were Pirates. (Stat from Sarah Langs on Twittwe/X.

Notable Performances

• Paul Skenes: 7.0 innings, one hit, no runs, no walks, seven strikeouts, 93 pitches/62 strikes
• Konnor Griffin: 3 for 4, one home run, three RBI, one run, one steal
• Ryan O’Hearn: 2 for 4, one double, two runs

Noteworthy

• This was Paul Skenes’ longest outing since also throwing seven innings against the Colorado Rockies last year on Aug. 24
• Last year, Skenes didn’t get his fourth win of the season until May 28, which was his 12th start of the season.
• INF Jared Triolo (right knee patellar tendon) began a rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton on Friday night.

Up Next

The Pirates will send out RHP Mitch Keller (2-1, 2.79 ERA) in the second game of the weekend series on Saturday. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-2, 3.04 ERA) will start for the Brewers. First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET on SportsNetPittsburgh+/93.7TheFan.

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