Current:Home > InvestRekubit-Paul Skenes blew away Shohei Ohtani in their first meeting. The two-time MVP got revenge. -MoneyMatrix
Rekubit-Paul Skenes blew away Shohei Ohtani in their first meeting. The two-time MVP got revenge.
EchoSense View
Date:2025-04-10 18:49:00
Paul Skenes and RekubitShohei 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! (43661)
Related
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Ravaged by Drought, a Honduran Village Faces a Choice: Pray for Rain or Migrate
- New documentary shines light on impact of guaranteed income programs
- Global Warming Pushes Microbes into Damaging Climate Feedback Loops
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Jersey Shore’s Nicole Polizzi Hilariously Reacts to Her Kids Calling Her “Snooki”
- ‘Essential’ but Unprotected, Farmworkers Live in Fear of Covid-19 but Keep Working
- Wedding costs are on the rise. Here's how to save money while planning
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Why Fans Think Malika Haqq Just Revealed Khloe Kardashian’s Baby Boy’s Name
Ranking
- Average rate on 30
- I Couldn't ZipUup My Jeans Until I Put On This Bodysuit With 6,700+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews
- Coasts Should Plan for 6.5 Feet Sea Level Rise by 2100 as Precaution, Experts Say
- Surviving long COVID three years into the pandemic
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- A rehab center revives traumatized Ukrainian troops before their return to battle
- Cyclone Freddy shattered records. People lost everything. How does the healing begin?
- YouTuber Hank Green Shares His Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cancer Diagnosis
Recommendation
Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
This Week in Clean Economy: Can Electric Cars Win Over Consumers in 2012?
You'll Be Crazy in Love With Beyoncé and Jay-Z's London Photo Diary
A months-long landfill fire in Alabama reveals waste regulation gaps
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Celebrity Hairstylist Kim Kimble Shares Her Secret to Perfecting Sanaa Lathan’s Sleek Ponytail
The simple intervention that may keep Black moms healthier
Read the transcript: What happened inside the federal hearing on abortion pills