Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was on top of his game Monday night, dominating Team Mexico over four scoreless innings at a rocking Daikin Park.
The reigning NL Cy Young winner lived up to the hype in his World Baseball Classic debut, permitting just one hit and one walk while striking out seven. He did not allow a runner to advance past second base and threw 39 of his 60 pitches for strikes.
Of those 60 pitches, 11 were clocked at 98 mph or higher. Of the 31 swings Mexico took against him, 15 missed.
The game was played in Houston last night, and the Houston Rockets were off. That allowed Rockets superstar Kevin Durant to watch the game.
Durant, who’s notoriously active on social media, praised Skenes’ dominant performance on X.
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“Paul skenes is a dawg,” Durant wrote.
No arguments here.
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If Team USA advances far enough, Skenes will pitch again in the semifinal.
More Pirates: Paul Skenes Goes Viral For Reaction To Jaw-Dropping Play At World Baseball Classic
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