Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes is set to go after his 10th win of the season as the Pirates host the Miami Marlins in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
The Pirates (67-76) and Marlins (54-89) both head into the matchup on a positive note, following series-closing victories over the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively.
Skenes (9-2, 2.13 ERA) has been in excellent form, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.64 ERA over his last four starts. In his most recent outing, Skenes showcased resilience, throwing 100 pitches across five scoreless innings in a win over the Chicago Cubs. Despite facing loaded bases in the first two innings, he kept the Cubs at bay, allowing just four hits, walking four, and striking out six.
“These types of situations will only make him stronger,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “A lot of guys work through this in the minors, but he’s doing it at the major league level.”
Skenes will be facing the Marlins for the first time in his career.
Miami will counter with rookie right-hander Valente Bellozo (2-2, 3.78 ERA), who is making his 10th MLB start. After struggling in two starts where he gave up 11 earned runs over 8 2/3 innings, Bellozo bounced back with a strong performance against the Nationals on Sept. 4, tossing six shutout innings and allowing only three hits in a no-decision.
Both the Pirates and Marlins relied on contributions from their rookie hitters to secure four-game series splits on Sunday.
For Pittsburgh, Billy Cook made an immediate impact in his MLB debut after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis. Cook recorded a two-run double and a single, helping the Pirates to a 7-3 win over the Nationals. Normally an outfielder who can also play second and first base, Cook debuted at first base. He was acquired from the Orioles in a trade for pitcher Patrick Reilly and had been hitting .276 with nine stolen bases and five home runs in 30 games at Triple-A.
“As a utility guy, they value my ability to move around the field,” Cook said. “Whether it’s at first or in the outfield, I’ll do whatever the team needs.”
The Pirates also saw power contributions from Joey Bart, who hit a two-run homer, and veterans Andrew McCutcheon and Michael A. Taylor, who each added solo shots as Pittsburgh rebounded after a doubleheader sweep on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Marlins secured a 10-1 rout of the Phillies to split their series. Rookie Connor Norby had a breakout game, hitting two homers in his first career multi-home run game. Fellow rookie Griffin Conine added three hits, while Norby extended his strong form, now boasting six homers, 13 RBIs, and a hit in 17 of his 18 games since being called up from Triple-A on Aug. 19.
Javier Sanoja, another Marlins rookie, followed up his first RBI in his debut on Saturday by collecting two hits in his first start on Sunday.
“I saw him and thought, ‘Who’s this little guy?’ But he hits everything,” Norby said about Sanoja. “I’m thrilled to have him up here.”
Sanoja, who turned 22 last week, had a fast rise through the minors, starting the season in Double-A before quickly advancing to Triple-A and then the majors.
“He made it up here fast,” said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. “Just a few years ago, he was in the Dominican Summer League. It’s impressive to see how quickly he’s grown.”
Leave a Reply