Paul Skenes strikes out a spring-best 7 as Pirates combine for 16 Ks in win over Twins

In his first start since being named Opening Day starter and final one of spring training, Paul Skenes dabbled in dominance by touching triple digits twice in the first inning and recording seven strikeouts.

It was the most strikeouts by a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher this spring, and Skenes’ swing-and-miss action set the tone as Pirates pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts in a 4-2 split-squad win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla.

Skenes’ 19 strikeouts this spring are tied with Detroit’s Kenta Maeda for the second most in the Grapefruit League behind Boston’s Garrett Crochet (21). Skenes relied heavily on his four-seamer, averaging 97.8 mph on 44 fastballs, and drew 10 called strikes and 17 whiffs on 41 swings. The Twins fouled off a dozen balls to run up his pitch count.

The right-hander allowed five hits and three walks — including two in the fourth, when he was replaced with two outs before returning — in throwing 51 of his 85 pitches for strikes in 4 2/3 innings.

Skenes flashed his four-seamer early by following a 100.4-mph fastball with a 100-mph heater that got leadoff batter Matt Wallner swinging for a strikeout. The Twins sandwiched singles by Ryan Jeffers and Trevor Larnach around a strikeout of Willi Castro before Skenes got Jose Miranda for another strikeout to end the frame.

In the second inning, Eduardo Julien hit a leadoff single to left field. Skenes attempted a pickoff play at first base, but his throw bounced off Julien’s back for an error, allowing him to advance to second and score on Mike Ford’s two-out double to right-center for a 1-0 lead.

After Twins starter Joe Ryan struck out the side in the first inning, he walked Joey Bart to start the second. Ryan surrendered the lead when Ke’Bryan Hayes hit an 0-2 sweeper outside for a 337-foot line drive that cleared the right field fence for a two-run home run and a 2-1 lead.

The Twins put a pair of runners on in the third when Skenes walked Castro and Larnach singled, but Skenes got Miranda on an infield fly to short and Julien to ground out to end the frame.

Skenes walked Brooks Lee to start the fourth, got DaShawn Keirsey Jr. on a changeup for a foul tip strikeout and Ford looking at a called third strike on a slider before Wallner drew a full-count walk. The Pirates replaced Skenes with Nick Dombkowski, who walked Jeffers but struck out Castro.

Per spring training rules, Skenes was permitted to return for the fifth and retired the side in order for the first time. The Pirates padded their lead with a solo homer by Bart in the fourth and Bryan Reynolds in the sixth to make it 4-1. The Twins cut their deficit to 4-2 when Wallner took Dennis Santana deep in the seventh for his sixth home run this spring.

Lefty relievers Caleb Ferguson and Ryan Borucki struck out the side in the sixth and eighth innings, respectively, and Tanner Rainey finished with a flourish by fanning Jair Camargo on three pitches for the final out.

Notes: In Lakeland, lefty Bailey Falter allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings in a 9-6 split-squad loss to the Detroit Tigers. Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 3 for 4, Endy Rodriguez had an RBI triple and Nick Gonzales a two-run double. … Right-hander Thomas Harrington is scheduled to start against lefty Cristopher Sanchez when the Pirates host the Phillies at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday at LECOM Park. The game will be televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh.