Since the Atlanta Braves moved into Truist Park in 2017, they have never lost a series to Pittsburgh, going 18-5 against the Pirates there during that span. After cruising to a 6-1 victory in Friday night's opener, the Braves can clinch this weekend's three-game series on Saturday afternoon, but it won't be easy. That's because Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes (4-0, 2.
14 ERA), a 6-foot-6 right-hander who regularly hits 100-102 mph on the radar gun, will make his first career start against Atlanta. Skenes, the first overall pick of the 2023 Major League Draft out of LSU, has become must-see TV. Skenes has 61 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings in his first eight starts and, according to MLB.
com researcher and reporter Sarah Langs, only six other pitchers since at least 1901 have recorded more whiffs in their first eight appearances: Herb Score (77), Jose DeLeon (73), Kerry Wood (72), Stephen Strasburg (68), Masahiro Tanaka (66) and Nolan Ryan (64). "That guy's pretty legit," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of Skenes on Sunday after the Rays managed one run -- a leadoff homer by Yandy Diaz -- on six hits over seven innings while striking out eight times in an eventual 3-1 Tampa Bay victory. Skenes will be opposed by left-hander Max Fried (7-3, 3.
00 ERA) in what has the makings of a classic pitchers' duel. Fried is 3-1 with a 4.76 ERA in six career starts against Pittsburgh.
"It's going to be a really good matchup," Skenes said. "They've got a really good lineup. Obviously, (Fried) .