Pirates rookie Paul Skenes hits triple digits routinely, strikes out 7 in big league debut vs. Cubs

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The moment hardly looked too big for Paul Skenes.

The top-ranked pitching prospect in baseball had a promising major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates, working into the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday while offering a glimpse of what may be to come.

Skenes was charged with three runs in four-plus innings. He struck out seven, throwing 17 pitches of 100 mph or more. He also walked two and gave up a homer to Nico Hoerner in the fourth that just reached the first row of bleachers beyond the left-field wall.

As he walked off the field, the mustachioed 21-year-old received a loud ovation from a near-sellout crowd that included his more-famous girlfriend, LSU gymnast and social media influencer Livvy Dunne.

Skenes became the first Pirates pitcher aged 21 or younger to record at least seven strikeouts in his major league debut since Nick Maddox fanned 11 against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1907 — 95 years before Skenes was born.