Jun 9, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft reacts after getting Philadelphia Phillies’ Alec Bohm to hit into a game-ending double play Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes is in a routine.
Pitch deep into a game. Allow a single run, if that. Walk away without a win.
That didn’t change Sunday. The 23-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates ace worked 7ª innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, giving up one unearned run on two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. He was pulled with the game tied 1-all.
Skenes remained 4-6 in his sophomore season despite lowering his ERA to 1.88, second-best in the National League behind the New York Mets’ Kodai Senga (1.59).
This time, he didn’t mind the no-decision. Pittsburgh won 2-1, completing a three-game sweep and handing Philadelphia its fifth straight loss.
“I think we’ve been playing pretty good ball for a little bit now and either haven’t come out with (wins) or lost by a run or something like that in a few games,” Skenes said. “I’ve been happy with the baseball we’ve been playing. It’s nice to finally get some wins out of it, too. It’s easy to go on a losing streak, too, so we’ve just got to keep going.”
Skenes threw 97 pitches (62 strikes). He got through the first two batters of the eighth on four pitches before manager Don Kelly signaled for rookie right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, who entered as fans’ booing over the decision subsided.
“We felt like (Skenes) was done,” Kelly said. “He emptied the tank there that inning. Just felt like it was an opportunity to go to Ashcraft in that moment.
“Unbelievable. What can you say? Just continued to fill up the strike zone, elite stuff. At the beginning, really sharp. Kind of in the middle, looked like it got it away from him. That’s just what he’s shown, that he’s able to dial it back in and just dominate the strike zone. He was unbelievable again today.”
Ashcraft picked up his first win in the majors after Andrew McCutchen hit a go-ahead, broken-bat single in the eighth.
The 25-year-old started with a walk of Brandon Marsh but recovered by getting Rafael Marchan to ground out to second. Returning for the ninth, he forced Alec Bohm into a game-ending double play as rain began to pour.
“It means a lot after somebody puts up a really good outing,” Ashcraft said. “(Skenes) has done that consistently this year. It means a lot to us, as a team, to be able to go out and get him that win. He didn’t get the win. I got the win. But, I mean, he got it just as much as I did.”
It was nothing out of the ordinary. Skenes gave up one run on three hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings against the Houston Astros on Tuesday in his previous outing, but the Pirates lost 3-0.
Skenes is 1-4 in his past eight starts, even though he’s given up just five runs in 42• innings over his last six. Pittsburgh has averaged 3.35 runs in his 14 starts and he is 0-2 in three games where he’s gone into the eighth, despite allowing three runs total (two earned).
Cristopher Sanchez nearly matched Skenes on Sunday, giving up two runs and striking out nine in seven innings.
Dueling with another starter is fine with Skenes, but he doesn’t mind the alternative.
“It’s fun,” Skenes said. “Pitching in 10-0 games is fun, too.”
The Phillies have lost five straight and nine of 10.
Sanchez surrendered two runs — the first on an RBI double from Jared Triolo in the second — and five hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings.
Saturday’s game
Henry Davis hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Pirates to a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday after the slumping Phillies placed star first baseman Bryce Harper on the injured list before the game with right wrist inflammation.
Davis hit his fourth home run of the season and second in as many games to left-center off Ranger Suarez (4-1) on a first-pitch changeup to snap a 1-1 tie.
The Phillies’ lone run came on Kyle Schwarber’s 20th homer with one out in the first inning off Andrew Heaney.
Heaney allowed one run in six-plus innings before leaving with left calf cramping. Bohm led off the seventh with a double, and Heaney exited after throwing a wild pitch. Rookie reliever Isaac Mattson (1-0) relieved with the score tied at 1-1, retired all the batters and earned his first major-league win.
David Bednar pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save.
The Pirates scored in the bottom of the first when Nick Gonzales hit a leadoff triple and came home on McCutchen’s single.
Before the game, the Pirates placed catcher Endy Rodriguez (right elbow inflammation) on the 10-day IL, recalled Mattson from Triple-A Indianapolis, purchased the contract of catcher Brett Sullivan from Triple-A, and designated left-handed reliever Joey Wentz for assignment.
Up next
Pirates: RHP Mike Burrows (1-1, 5.27) will take the mound in the first of a three-game series against the Marlins tonight.
Multiple national media outlets are reporting that quarterback Aaron Rodgers is signing a one-year contract with …
Copyright © 2025 Central Pennsylvania Newspapers, LLC | https://www.altoonamirror.com | 301 Cayuga Ave., Altoona, PA 16602 | 814-946-7411
