For fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and baseball in general, Paul Skenes not pitching in a three-game series at PNC Park earlier this month was a major disappointment.
While unintentional, that the series did not line up with Skenes taking the hill and deprived audiences of a heavyweight showdown between one of baseball’s top pitchers and a powerful lineup.
In particular, much attention would have inevitably been on Skenes vs. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
Their matchup would have made for a sequel to a highly anticipated meeting vs. one another in the 2024 All-Star Game. (Skenes got Judge to ground out to third base).
Paul Skenes > Aaron Judge https://t.co/9Dcj1Qnpn3pic.twitter.com/E7PKtDnA0t
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) July 17, 2024
However, what’s done is done. And as Skenes confidently predicted regarding Judge on April 5, “(I’m) probably going to see him in the All-Star Game this year again.”
All that said, a challenge cut of the same cloth awaits Skenes on Friday night in Los Angeles, as the Pirates begin a three-game series vs. the Dodgers.
Skenes, while as of Thursday afternoon has not officially been announced by the Pirates as starter for Friday, is expected to pitch for in the first game of the series.
He’ll be facing a fellow MLB sophomore in Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 0.93 ERA), who’s off to a stellar start in 2025 after going 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA as a rookie last year.
That should make for a solid pitching duel, but Skenes’ attention will be on suppressing the Dodgers’ Murderers’ Row of batters, including Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Between them, the three have five MVP awards, 13 Silver Sluggers and have made 20 All-Star appearances.
In anticipation for the matchups, MLB Network picked up Friday’s game (10:10 p.m.) for a national broadcast.
Skenes (2-2, 2.87 ERA) can lean experience gained over two prior games vs. the Dodgers during his rookie campaign.
The first of the two, June 5, 2024, was memorable, as Skenes began the game by attacking Betts and Ohtani, striking out both with a combined seven pitches.
Skenes went right after Ohtani in particular, retiring him on three fastballs over 100 mph.
Paul Skenes Annihilating Shohei Ohtani. ???? pic.twitter.com/ZCEum3SPGx
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 5, 2024
However, in the third inning of the Pirates’ eventual 10-6 win, Ohtani connected on a 100.1 mph heater for a 415-foot solo homer to center field.
Ohtani would later single vs. Skenes in the latter’s final inning, while Betts and Freeman went hitless with him on the hill.
Despite allowing three earned runs, Skenes was the victor that day, picking up his third MLB win.
Later in the summer, the Pirates visited Los Angeles and Skenes was on the hill Aug. 10.
He tossed six innings that evening, allowing four runs while taking the loss in a 4-1 defeat.
Betts was absent from the lineup, but Ohtani and Freeman played, going a combined 0 for 6 vs. Skenes.
As Skenes prepares again to navigate around dangerous hitters, the Dodgers as a team have not put up eye-popping numbers so far.
While their 41 home runs are tied for the most in baseball, their team batting average (.231) ranks 21st, and they are 18th in hits (188) and on-base percentage (.311).