As my Wi-Fi continues to go in-and-out (thanks, Verizon), it feels appropriate to again to discuss a Pirates team whose only consistent trait is to simultaneously frustrate, amaze, and drive their long-suffering fans crazy. No game that I have watched the Pirates play in the past five years (with the exception of the ending, which was a win for the Buccos) typifies that dumbfounded feeling than their game on Saturday, May 11th, when top pitching prospect Paul Skenes made his debut in one of the most bizarre baseball contests in recent memory.
This was one of the more hyped Pirates games since their last postseason appearance, as Paul Skenes was the Pirates’ number 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft and one of the most highly-touted pitching prospects since Stephen Strasburg made his debut (against the Pirates) in 2010, striking out 14 batters in seven innings. While Skenes did not have quite the debut that his Nationals’ counterpart did–Skenes only lasted 4 innings, getting tagged with 3 earned runs on eight baserunners and accumulating seven strikeouts–there is a lot to be optimistic about (regarding Skenes specifically, not the Pirates as a whole. That ship has sailed).
While Paul was charged with three runs, he was only on the mound when one of them was scored–a solo home run by Nico Hoerner in the 4th inning. Amazingly, the bats actually provided Skenes with run support, as the bottom of the third saw a Connor Joe 3-run homer immediately precede an O’Neil Cruz missile. After the Cubs scored their first run, Michael A. Taylor re-established (and extended) the Pirates’ lead with a 2-run shot, making the score 6-1 after the 4th inning. Skenes came out for the beginning of the 5th, but after giving up a leadoff double followed by an infield hit, he was taken out of the game with two runners on base and no one out. In came Kyle Nicolas…
Nicolas struck out the first two men he faced: Cody Bellinger and Christopher Morel, two of the biggest threats in that lineup. It appeared as though the Buccos might escape the inning largely-unscathed. Of course, that was not the case. Ian Happ was hit by the first pitch he saw in his at-bat, the first of 17 consecutive balls thrown by the Pirates’ bullpen in that inning. The sequence of events went as follows: hit by pitch, 4-pitch walk, 4-pitch walk, 4-pitch walk, 4-pitch walk, infield single, rain delay. The scoreline had quickly flipped from 6-1 to 6-6, and the bases were still loaded when the skies opened.
After a relatively lengthy delay, can you guess what the result of the first at-bat was? You got it! Seiya Suzuki walked, bringing in the go-ahead run. But wait! There was more! Cody Bellinger walked immediately after, making it 8-6. If you are keeping count at home, that makes six walks with the bases loaded in the same inning. Welcome to the Pirates, Paul Skenes, where even the most ridiculous occurrences are completely unsurprising.
Amazingly, the Pirates ended up winning the game. Long-time MLB catcher Yasmani Grandal mashed a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 5th, and Andrew McCutchen added a solo shot in the bottom of the 6th to make it 10-8. The Pirates managed to hang on and win the game 10-9, despite David Bednar’s best efforts to blow the game by giving up a double, single, and sacrifice fly before retiring the final two Cubs.
As I stated earlier, I do not think there is another game that sums up the Pirates more than this one. A high draft pick surrounded with optimism made his debut. The team managed to accomplish an unimaginable feat (walking 6 guys with the bases loaded). Hell, we even saw inclement weather. To say that this kind of game is unusual would be a colossal understatement, but they seem to occur more frequently when the black and gold are involved. Hopefully Paul Skenes does not flame out like almost every other Pirates prospect. Hopefully he and Jared Jones can prove to be a great 1-2 tandem at the front end of the starting rotation. Hopefully the Pirates will win a playoff series before I am old and senile. Of course, the operative word in those statements is “hopefully”, a word that Pirates fans are all-too sick of hearing and saying.