
Those who attended to watch Pirates’ sensation Paul Skenes take on Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night were not let down.
The 22-year-old right-hander came into the game fired up, striking out both Ohtani and fellow MVP contender Mookie Betts with a total of seven pitches.
Paul Skenes destroying Mookie Betts. pic.twitter.com/DS7TEsAsT6
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 5, 2024
Skenes fired three consecutive triple-digit fastballs past Ohtani, who signed a ten-year, $700 million contract with Los Angeles in December. Widely considered the best player in the world, Ohtani, who won the American League MVP award last season, excels as both a starting pitcher and designated hitter when fully healthy.
Paul Skenes Annihilating Shohei Ohtani. š³ pic.twitter.com/ZCEum3SPGx
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 5, 2024
Ohtani had his own statement moment when he faced Skenes for the second time. The ÅshÅ«, Japan native connected with a full-count fastball with two outs, sending it into the bullpens for a two-run homer.
Round two goes to Shohei Ohtani š³ pic.twitter.com/PeNvdak1ep
— MLB (@MLB) June 5, 2024
Young Bucs Put to the Test
The Pirates have faced the best lineup in the National League over the past two gamesāLos Angelesā .764 team OPS ranks second-best in baseballāproviding an early test for rookies Paul Skenes and Jared Jones.
The young pitchers performed impressively.
Jones pitched six scoreless innings on Tuesday, allowing just three hits and hitting 101 miles per hour on the radar gun for the first time in his major league career while facing the team he grew up watching. Skenes allowed three runs in five innings, but showcased his talent: four of his eight strikeouts were called third strikes.
Skenesā aggressive start generated significant buzz online, but Shohei Ohtani noted that it wasnāt just the velocity that challenged him, but also the nuances of Skenesā delivery.
āHis stuff itself was really good, as you saw my first at-bat: I couldnāt really put together good swings. Overall just really good stuff,ā Ohtani said through a Dodgersā team interpreter. āRather than the velo, itās really the angle and the release. I made the adjustment in the second at-bat.ā
Clash of the Titans
Ohtani noted that Skenes’ aggressive start to the game didn’t surprise him. Skenes, in turn, spoke about the unique experience of two stars facing off, especially on the belt-high fastball that Ohtani hit for a home run.
“Yeah, I like to call that ‘big on big’ because I obviously beat him a couple of times earlier,” Skenes said. “I think that was the right pitch to throw there; he’s just a really good player. Stuff like that is going to happen.”
The Dodgers had more success against Skenes than Jonesāa notable achievement given their struggles with fastballs of any velocity this year. However, Ohtani said that facing one didn’t help them prepare for the other due to their different pitching styles.
Skenes, at 6-foot-6, has the build of a classic power pitcher, while Jones, at a listed 6-foot-1, takes a different approach despite similar results.
“They both can throw hard, but what really stands out is they both throw at different angles, different delivery,” Ohtani said.
Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts mentioned that the team focused on ‘intentionality’ toward hitting fastballs, which might have contributed to their improved performance. He also praised Skenes’ ability, noting his lively fastball and control.
“Skenes, itās really good stuff. For us to get him out after five, I thought was a win. The fastball has a lot of life, heās got really good command,” Roberts said. “I thought today we just did a really good job of grinding him and getting to the ‘pen.”
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