Pirates grind out chaotic victory over Cubs in Paul Skenes' MLB debut
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette
Author: Noah Hiles
PITTSBURGH -- Many hoped Paul Skenes' big league debut would be a day to remember. But it's safe to assume no one could have predicted what unfolded Saturday evening on the North Shore.
There were numerous walks with the bases loaded, towering home runs and a two-plus-hour rain delay -- and that was the fifth inning. In the end it was the Pirates who came out on top over the Cubs by a final score of 10-9, in what will certainly go down as one of the most bizarre games in the history of PNC Park.
Through the first four innings, the game seemed to be going nearly perfect for Derek Shelton's club. Home runs from Connor Joe, Oneil Cruz and Michael A. Taylor gave the Pirates early run support for their rookie pitcher, who successfully maneuvered through the Cubs lineup.
But in the top of the fifth, the chaos began.
It started with Skenes surrendering a pair of base hits to start the frame. With his pitch count at 84, the highest it's reached in his brief professional career, Shelton brought an end to the rookie's outing.
As Skenes' replacement, Kyle Nicolas, took the mound, a light drizzle began to fall on the 34,924 fans at PNC Park, harshly foreshadowing the cruel misfortune to come for the ball club. Nicolas teased Pirates supporters with a flash of optimism in the form of back-to-back strikeouts. But with two outs and two on, the meltdown began.
Nicolas loaded the bases by hitting Ian Happ with a first-pitch curveball. The 25-year-old righty then threw 12 straight balls, walking in three runs including both of the runners he inherited from Skenes.
With his club's lead quickly fading, Shelton turned to Josh Fleming, who walked a fourth-straight batter to make it a 6-5 game. Needing just one more out to make the game an official contest, Fleming was unable to beat neither the Cubs nor Mother Nature.
Mike Tauchman legged out an infield hit to tie the game at 6. And before most Pirates fans could even comprehend what happened, they were greeted to the sight of PNC Park's grounds crew rolling out the tarp over a rain-soaked infield, bringing the once cheerful day to a gut-wrenching halt.
When play resumed more than two hours later, the walks continued. Colin Holderman issued back-to-back free passes to put the Cubs ahead 8-6. A flyout to center field finally ended the disaster.
However, with morale seemingly at an all-time low, the Pirates veteran bats came through.
Cruz started the rally with a double to right. With two outs, Nick Gonzales then drew a walk, setting the table for a three-run homer from Yasmani Grandal. Andrew McCutchen slugged the Pirates' fifth and final home run an inning later for good measure, which would end up being the game's winning run.
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Holderman was the game's winning pitcher, improving to 2-0 on the season. Aroldis Chapman and Hunter Stratton served as the connecting points to David Bednar, who notched his seventh save of the season.
On the mound
Skenes' final line was four innings, three runs, all earned, on six hits and a pair of walks. He struck out seven batters.
Known best for his fastball, Skenes' velocity was on full display Saturday afternoon. Skenes threw nine pitches over 100 mph in the first inning. He finished the frame with five of the six fastest pitches thrown by a Pirates pitcher since 2008, when such data was first recorded.
Skenes ended his day with 17 of his 84 pitches reaching triple digits. His fastball accounted for four of his seven strikeouts and 39% of his total pitches. His slider tallied two strikeouts and the final came from his splitter-sinker combination pitch, better known as the "splinker."
At the plate
The Pirates' offense tallied a handful of season-highs Saturday:
-- Home runs (5)
-- Extra-base hits (7)
-- Runs scored (10)
Joe and Grandal both finished with three RBIs. Taylor, Cruz, Grandal and McCutchen each tallied multiple hits.
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