Paul Skenes is no stranger to the big stage.
But on Monday night, one of baseball’s most electric pitchers will finally make his first extended appearance in the Big Apple when Skenes starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a three-game series against the New York Mets.
The right-handed Skenes (3-4, 2.77 ERA) is slated to oppose Mets left-hander David Peterson (2-2, 3.05).
Both teams earned wins in the rubber game of a three-game home series Sunday afternoon. The Pirates earned a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Atlanta Braves, while Francisco Lindor hit the tie-breaking homer leading off the eighth inning to lead the Mets to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
A rare series win provided a much-needed feel-good moment and some valuable momentum for the Pirates, who are in last place in the National League Central at 14-27. The slow start cost manager Derek Shelton his job last Thursday, when he was fired following a seven-game losing streak.
The Pirates, who earned a 3-2 win over the Braves on Friday in their first game under replacement manager Don Kelly and fell 3-2 in 11 innings Saturday, raced out to a 3-0 lead Sunday against reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale before Atlanta scored three times in the top of the eighth.
In the ninth, Pittsburgh loaded the bases with one out before Joey Bart hit a hard grounder to shortstop Nick Allen, whose throw to the plate was wide as Adam Frazier slid home with the winning run.
The series win was just the third in 12 tries this season for the Pirates.
“We were looking for that,” Bart said. “Played a good team and won the series, so can’t complain. Just got to keep moving.”
Skenes took the defeat in his most recent start last Tuesday after giving up two runs over six innings in the Pirates’ 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He will be making his second appearance in New York City — though the first in which he’ll be expected to assume a normal workload.
Skenes capped his 2024 Rookie of the Year campaign — which included a start for the NL in the All-Star Game last July 16 — by tossing two perfect innings in the Pirates’ 9-4 win over the host New York Yankees on Sept. 28.
The 22-year-old earned the win in his lone previous start against the Mets last July 5, when he gave up two runs over seven innings in the host Pirates’ 14-2 victory.
The Mets, who are atop the NL East with a 26-15 record, continued their impressive start by taking two of three from the NL Central-leading Cubs. New York rolled to a 7-2 win Friday and nearly overcame a four-run deficit in Saturday’s 6-5 loss before Lindor’s homer sparked a decisive four-run rally capped by Brandon Nimmo’s two-run shot on Sunday.
The Mets are second in the NL with a .769 OPS and also rank amongst the top five in runs (199), homers (51) and batting average (.255).
“We have a really good lineup,” Lindor said. “We do a good job of talking in the dugout. It feels good to have that feeling that anybody can get it done.”
Peterson also took the loss last Tuesday, when he allowed four runs (two earned) over six innings as the Mets fell to the host Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1. He is 0-0 with a 3.48 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Pirates.
–Field Level Media
