Paul Skenes made more MLB history on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Just days after making history as the first No. 1 overall MLB draft pick to be named to the All-Star Game the following season, Skenes took to the hill to take vs. the Brewers on Thursday afternoon in the getaway game for the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of their weekend series with the Chicago White Sox.
Skenes, as he has been this entire season, was stellar.
So stellar, in fact, that he put manager Derek Shelton in a difficult position. When Skenes induced a groundout to end the seventh inning, it came on a 93-mph splitter and was his 100th pitch of the afternoon.
He had yet to allow a hit.
With the Pirates leading 1-0, Shelton made the call to the bullpen, pulling the rookie while he was chasing a no-hitter.
Making it the second time this season Shelton has made such a decision. Back in Skenes’ second start of his career, against the Chicago Cubs, he had worked six innings of hitless ball, but with Skenes already sitting on 100 pitches Shelton pulled the big right-hander, rather than running him out for another inning of work.
While Skenes was denied a chance at baseball immortality, he still made some history with the outing. He struck out 11 Brewers on Thursday over seven innings of hitless work, matching the 11 punchouts he recorded back in mid-May in that game against the Cubs.
The only other hitter to have two hitless games of six innings or more with 11 strikeouts or more in a single season?
Nolan Ryan, back in 1973. It should be noted that Ryan finished both of those outings with a no-hitter, but given the way he has started his career, a no-hitter from Skenes feels like just a matter of time.
But returning to the history the young right-hander has been making, it also feels like some more history could be on the horizon. As noted above Skenes was named to the All-Star Game, which is next Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas.
Could Skenes get the call to start the game for the National League?
There is a strong case to be made that Skenes — who is headed to Arlington with a 6-0 record over 66.1 innings of work with a 1.90 ERA and a WHIP of 0.92 — is worthy of starting on Tuesday night. John Smoltz replied “probably yes” when asked if Skenes had earned the spot, and on MLB Network Thursday analyst and former pitcher Dan Plesac called Skenes a “slam dunk” to start the All-Star Game.
If he does, it would be even more history.
Skenes would become just the fifth rookie pitcher in MLB history to start the All-Star Game, joining Hideo Nomo (1995), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Mark Fidrych (1976) and Dave Stenhouse (1962).
However, with just 11 starts under his belt, that would tie Fidrych as an All-Star Game starting pitcher with just 11 starts to their name over their rookie season.
Just like that eventual no-hitter, it seems even more history is coming Skenes’ way.
