MLB

Paul Skenes, Shohei Ohtani have riveting duel in Pirates-Dodgers

The Pirates got the last laugh, though, with a win on Wednesday.

NBC Universal, Inc.

MLB fans at PNC Park definitely received a show on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes got the starting nod on the mound as he continues to shine early on in his career.

One of his matchups on the day? Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Skenes announced himself to Ohtani and Co. in the best way possible. In the first inning with two outs and no one on, the 22-year-old right hander threw three straight 100 mph fastballs to strike out Ohtani.

Pittsburgh took a commanding 7-0 lead within the first three innings before Ohtani returned to home base.

This time, though, Ohtani launched a two-run homer off Skenes to attempt a comeback.

In the end, Pittsburgh held on for a 10-6 win and moved to 2-0 in the current three-game series.

The Pirates had won 1-0 on Tuesday thanks to a third-inning run via centerfielder Jack Suwinski.

Game 3 of the mini series is set for Thursday at 6:40 p.m. PT, though Skenes and Ohtani may not meet again until their next series in mid-August.

Contact Us