Current:Home > InvestPaul Skenes blew away Shohei Ohtani in their first meeting. The two-time MVP got revenge. -FutureWise Finance
Paul Skenes blew away Shohei Ohtani in their first meeting. The two-time MVP got revenge.
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:02:52
Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani exchanged greetings on the baseball field in a manner befitting the hardest-throwing phenom and the greatest two-way talent in the game.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie making his fifth career start, blew away Ohtani on three pitches — 101.3, 100.1 and 100.8 mph — that the Los Angeles Dodgers star swung and whiffed at in their first encounter Wednesday night at PNC Park.
But the two-time MVP didn't need more than two tries to welcome Skenes to the big leagues.
Ohtani turned around a 100-mph fastball in the third inning, sending it 415 feet and over the fence in straightaway center field for his 15th home run, showing the rookie that it's not so easy to slip pure heat by the Dodgers DH.
Yet it's one of a precious few mistakes Skenes made in Wednesday's 10-6 triumph, as he picked up his third win in five outings, striking out eight Dodgers in five innings.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
Oh, Ohtani got him again, singling to right in the fifth to put two runners on in a 7-3 game. But Ohtani's single was sandwiched by Skenes punchouts against the other MVPs in L.A.'s lineup. He caught Mookie Betts looking on a full-count 100-mph fastball on the outside corner, and Freddie Freeman on a 0-2 fastball that dotted the bottom of the zone at 99 mph.
After a Will Smith single loaded the bases, Skenes induced a groundout from Teoscar Hernandez and exited with a 7-3 lead. The Pirates went on to claim their second consecutive win over the NL West-leading Dodgers.
Skenes is still less than a year removed from the Pirates selecting him No. 1 overall from LSU, yet his resume remains nearly spotless. He has 38 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched and a 3.00 ERA, and the Pirates are 4-1 in his starts. He walked just one on Wednesday, bringing his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 38-to-6.
Now, add another bullet point to that list: A split decision against the game's greatest talent.
veryGood! (7856)
Related
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- FAQ: Annual climate negotiations are about to start. Do they matter?
- Tatreez is a testament to the resilience and creativity of Palestinian women
- US closes border crossing to vehicles and limits traffic at another in response to illegal entries
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Report says Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers used alternate email under name of Hall of Fame pitcher
- When foster care kids are sex trafficked, some states fail to figure it out
- Chad Michael Murray Responds to Accusation He Cheated on Erin Foster With Sophia Bush
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- No-call for potential horse-collar tackle on Josh Allen plays key role in Bills' loss to Eagles
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- NFL playoff picture after Week 12: Ravens keep AFC's top seed – but maybe not for long
- Accused security chief for sons of El Chapo arrested in Mexico: A complete psychopath
- Flight recorder recovered from Navy spy plane that overshot runway in Hawaii
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Texas governor skydives for first time alongside 106-year-old World War II veteran
- Spain announces a 1.4 billion-euro deal to help protect the prized Doñana wetland from drying up
- The Falcons are the NFL's iffiest division leader. They have nothing to apologize for.
Recommendation
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
A growing series of alarms blaring in federal courtrooms, less than a year before 2024 presidential election
Merriam-Webster picks 'authentic' as 2023 word of the year
Giving back during the holiday season: What you need to know to lend a helping hand
What to watch: O Jolie night
Teyana Taylor Addresses Quietly Filing for Divorce From Iman Shumpert
Sister Wives' Janelle and Christine Brown Respond to Kody’s Claim They're Trash Talking Him
Man accused of threatening shooting at New Hampshire school changes plea to guilty