Paul Skenes puts on dazzling show in 2nd major league start for Pittsburgh Pirates

CHICAGO (AP) — This time, Paul Skenes brought his fastball. Not the one he struggled to command during an uneven major league debut. The dazzling one, the triple-digit heat that goes exactly where he wants it to go.

The result was one impressive show.

Skenes turned in a dominant performance during his second major league start on Friday, striking out 11 while pitching six no-hit innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 9-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. He allowed just one baserunner on a full-count walk by Michael Busch in the fifth.

“It's not easy to pitch ever, regardless of the circumstances,” Skenes said. “But it's always easier to pitch when you have fastball command, because you have to have that. So that was the big thing today.”