Paul Skenes shows drawing power in sellout but Guardians blank Pirates

Paul Skenes proved the power of his popularity in drawing a sellout crowd to PNC Park on Saturday, perhaps as much for the promotional giveaway as to see the 2024 National League rookie of the year pitch.

Like the baseball card-inspired bobblehead that depicted only the upper half of the 6-foot-6 right-hander, the Pittsburgh Pirates left their fans wanting more.

Skenes went seven innings for his third quality start, but the Cleveland Guardians handed the Pirates their fourth shutout loss of the season, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon before 37,713 at PNC Park.

Skenes (2-2) delivered his third quality start, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out four in throwing 68 of his 103 pitches for strikes while flirting with triple digits. Skenes averaged 98.1 mph on 37 four-seam fastballs, topping out at 99.9. And he got six-time All-Star Jose Ramirez to lose grip of his bat on a fastball in the sixth.

But the Pirates went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position, stranding six runners. And Enmanuel Valdez was called out trying to stretch a double in the ninth when he overshot third base on his slide and was tagged out by Ramirez. The Pirates challenged, but the call was confirmed upon review.

The Guardians had two runners to reach in the first inning, on back-to-back singles by Nolan Jones and Jose Ramirez, before Skenes got Kyle Manzardo to ground into the first of three double plays.

Daniel Schneeman doubled to the right-field corner to start the third, advanced to third on Brayan Rocchio’s groundout to second and scored when Steven Kwan hit an RBI single to right for a 1-0 lead.

Skenes got Jones to ground into another double play to end the third. After walking Bo Naylor in the fifth, Skenes got Schneeman to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Pirates came up empty on their first two scoring chances. In the second, Adam Frazier doubled to right and reached third on Jared Triolo’s fly out to center but was stranded when Rocchio made a leaping grab to snag Jack Suwinski’s bloop to short. In the third, Oneil Cruz hit a one-out single to right and stole second base, only for Bryan Reynolds to strike out and Ke’Bryan Hayes to ground out.

The Pirates threatened again in the sixth, when Cruz led off by drawing a full-count walk and Reynolds followed with a single to left to put runners on first and third. Hayes worked a full count and thought he drew a walk on a sinker outside but went down looking at a called third strike by home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak. Valdez drew a full-count walk to load the bases, only for Tommy Pham to ground to short where Rocchio turned a double play to end the rally.

If that was a deflating moment, Manzardo only darkened the mood by sending Skenes’ first pitch of the seventh 411 feet over the right-field seats to become the 51st player to hit a home run into the Allegheny River and give the Guardians a 2-0 lead.

Triolo hit a one-out double in the seventh, but Guardians lefty Tim Herrin struck out pinch hitter Alexander Canario and Henry Davis to keep the Pirates scoreless.

Lefty Caleb Ferguson replaced Skenes in the eighth, only to load the bases by sandwiching walks to Rocchio and Nolan Jones around a Kwan single. Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Rocchio and give the Guardians a 3-0 lead.

Pirates two-time All-Star David Bednar, recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday morning, received a mixed reaction when he made his return in the ninth inning.

After Bednar got Santana to fly out, Naylor reached on an error by Frazier and Martinez followed with a single to center. Bednar got Lane Thomas swinging at a curveball for a strikeout and Rocchio looking at a called third strike on a 96.9 mph fastball.