Paul Skenes made history on Friday.
The former LSU star and Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-handed pitcher put on a show against the Chicago Cubs. Skenes struck out the first seven Chicago batters at Wrigley Field, and retired the first 13 batters he faced.
The 21-year-old pitched threw 100 pitches in six innings without surrendering a hit. Skenes would strike out 11 hitters and the only base runner he allowed was when he walked Cubs first baseman Michael Busch in the fifth inning.
This dominant start follows up his Major League Baseball debut when he struck out seven, and topped 100 miles per hour on the radar gun 17 times.
According to ESPN, Skenes’ seven strikeouts to start Friday’s game set a record for a Pirates pitcher and tied the MLB record for longest run by a rookie. The other pitcher being two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.
Skenes has now struck out 18 hitters through his first two starts, which have both come against the Cubs, and that ties a Pirates record for the most through two outings. Nick Maddox set the mark by in 1907.
Skenes’ 18 strikeouts through his first two outings — both against the Cubs — are tied with Nick Maddox (1907) for the most by a Pirates pitcher over his first two career starts.
Skenes was magnificent in his lone season playing for LSU.
He threw 122.2 innings, giving up just 72 hits and 28 runs while striking out an SEC-record 209 batters and helping LSU win the national championship.
He won the Dick Howser Trophy, SEC Pitcher of the Year, D1Baseball National Player of the Year, and the College Baseball Foundation’s Pitcher of the Year.
He was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and became the second LSU player to be selected first overall in history, joining Ben McDonald.