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PITTSBURGH — When it became clear that Pirates rookie right-hander would make his fifth career big-league start against the , it was natural to circle the game on the calendar as a definitive must-watch. No matter who is on the mound, Dodgers first innings have become something of an event in and of themselves, considering the three MVPs atop the lineup in , and . And , it was a perfect storm of regular-season intrigue, priming to be a bit more special than your average weeknight game in June.

As first pitch approached, buzz was building among the PNC Park crowd eager to bear witness to Skenes showcasing his stuff against three of the best hitters on the planet. Skenes Day 🔜 — Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) But it’s still baseball. So many underwhelming outcomes can come from any individual plate appearance; grand visions of epic strikeouts or titanic home runs punctuating matchups between top-tier talents rarely come to fruition.



Pitting two of the game’s best against each other cannot guarantee a memorable result, only set the stage for one. But when the stars do align, and the results of these heightened plate appearances match up with the supersonic talent on said stage? You’ve got to appreciate that when it happens. Skenes’ first pitch to Betts on Wednesday was a 101 mph fastball at the bottom of the zone for strike one.

His second offering was a 101 mph fastball at the top of the zone that Betts swung through haplessly for strike two. Two pitches la.

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