Paul Skenes struck out six and combined with three Pirates relievers on a five-hit shutout to lead Pittsburgh to a 3-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Pirates and was only their second win in their past 13 games.
It was the first time Skenes (5-8) picked up a win since May 28th at Arizona, a stretch of eight starts during which he went 0-3 with a 1.77 ERA in 45 2/3 innings. Skenes allowed three hits and walked one on 86 pitches.
The Pirates’ bullpen backed up their ace after that as Braxton Ashcraft, Dennis Santana and closer David Bednar combined to allow only two hits. Bednar locked up his 14th save of the season.
The Tigers lost for the seventh time in their past eight games as they couldn’t get a similar performance from Jack Flaherty (5-10), who lasted only three innings and allowed all three Pirates runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three.
Spencer Horwitz led the Pirates with three hits and drove in Pittsburgh’s first run in the second inning on an RBI single, which scored Ke’Bryan Hayes.
After Andrew McCutchen walked to load the bases with two outs, Bryan Reynolds delivered a two-run to score Horwitz and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Hayes had two hits.
Detroit’s best scoring threat came in the top of the third when Parker Meadows doubled off Skenes to lead off the inning and Matt Vierling followed with a single. But Skenes worked out of trouble when Trey Sweeney, who started at shortstop for Javy Baez, flew out, Colt Keith hit into a fielder’s choice and Gleyber Torres struck out.
Baez sat out Monday night’s game with left shoulder soreness after exiting Sunday night’s game against Texas in the sixth inning.
Baez said on Sunday that the issue stemmed from a play at the plate more than a month earlier when he slid head-first at the plate and hurt his shoulder on June 14th against the Cincinnati Reds.
Paul Skenes dominant in Pirates win over first-place Tigers
