Another Paul Skenes start, another piece of history made by the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie starting pitcher.
Skenes, who earned a no-decision in the Pirates' 5-3 win over the Houston Astros on Monday at Minute Maid Park, struck out six batters, allowed a trio of walks and one earned run in six innings of work.
In doing so, Skenes joined some of baseball's best strikeout artists. He became just the sixth pitcher to record 100 career strikeouts in 13 games or fewer since the current mound distance of 60 feet, six inches was established back in 1893, according to the Pirates' account on X, formerly Twitter.
No. 100 👏
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 30, 2024
Paul Skenes is just the sixth player all-time (since the current mound distance was established in 1893) to reach 100 strikeouts in 13 or fewer games. pic.twitter.com/VDgQGRIZvZ
Below is a table showing the select company Skenes joined on Monday.
When told of the milestone, Skenes acknowledged that it was "cool."
"It's pretty cool,” Skenes told MLB.com. “That's where the game is now. Starting pitchers get rewarded. That's the goal to get a lot of swing and miss."
Skenes, 22, has pitched to a 6-1 record with a 1.90 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings. He is among the odds-on favorites to win the National League Cy Young Award—and has all but secured the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
Skenes will next take the mound on Tuesday, August 6 against the San Diego Padres.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pirates' Paul Skenes Becomes Just Sixth MLB Player Since 1893 to Achieve Strikeout Milestone.
