Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes Tosses 7 No-Hit Innings in Latest Historic Start

Paul Skenes continued his run of dominance Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers, as the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie racked up 11 strikeouts across 7.0 no-hit innings.

Jun 11, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Skenes, fresh off earning a spot in the MLB All-Star Game, dealt quite the gem Thursday afternoon.

The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie tossed 7.0 scoreless innings in his team's series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. Skenes did not allow a single hit, either, and he only walked one batter.

On top of that, Skenes tied his career high with 11 strikeouts. It marked Skenes' eighth consecutive start with seven-plus strikeouts, which broke the Pirates' previous franchise record.

Paul Skenes has now recorded 7+ strikeouts in eight consecutive starts, a new franchise record! pic.twitter.com/PagN6aZ29s

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 11, 2024

Skenes' streak ranks third among all rookies in league history, according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs. Dwight Gooden and Brandon Beachy share the record with nine consecutive starts with seven-plus strikeouts.

Per Langs, Skenes is the only pitcher since at least 1901 to record seven-plus strikeouts in 10 of his first 11 big league appearances.

Skenes' 89 strikeouts through his first 11 outings rank fifth all-time and are the most since Kerry Wood in 1998, according to Langs. The only other pitcher in MLB history to toss more than 80 strikeouts and allow fewer than 15 walks through 11 appearances is Masahiro Tanaka, who did so with the New York Yankees in 2014.

All 11 strikeouts during Paul Skenes' seven no-hit innings! pic.twitter.com/zxcFTLlU5S

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 11, 2024

Skenes now has two starts under his belt of 6.0-plus innings, 11-plus strikeouts and zero hits allowed. The only other pitcher to post multiple such starts in a single season is Nolan Ryan, who did so in 1973, courtesy of Pirates broadcaster Joe Block.

Colin Holderman failed to extend Pittsburgh's combined no-hitter when he relieved Skenes in the eighth, but Aroldis Chapman tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn the save. Pittsburgh won 1-0, claiming the series in the process.

Skenes is now 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA, 0.920 WHIP, 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a 6.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his young MLB career. He entered Thursday with a 2.6 WAR, which is sure to go up thanks to his stellar outing against the Brewers.

Next up for Skenes is a trip to Arlington, Texas, for the Midsummer Classic.

As Langs gathered from the Elias Sports Bureau, Skenes' 11 games are the fewest played by any player who was selected to an All-Star roster. Should he earn the start for the National League next Tuesday, he would become just the fifth rookie pitcher ever to do so in an All-Star Game and the first since Hideo Nomo in 1995.

The 22-year-old righty, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, has certainly lived up to his status as baseball's top pitching prospect thus far, given the history he seems to make every time he takes the mound. Now it's just a matter of if Skenes can continue that run in the All-Star Game, or if he will have to wait until his next start for the Pirates to break more records.

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