Paul Skenes took the mound against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. The Pittsburgh Pirates' ace put together another great start, allowing just two runs over six innings. Unforunately, fans were robbed of a matchup between Skenes and Tarik Skubal. He dominated yet again despite the Tigers mascot's best attempt to distract him.

While he faced Detroit first baseman Spencer Torkelson, the Tigers mascot held up a sign reaching out to his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne.

Skenes and Dunne have become one of the baseball world's power couples over the last couple years. Dunne attends as many of Skenes' starts as she can and watches them on television if she cannot make it to the stadium. She saw the Tigers mascot's sign and took to social media to turn him down in favor of Skenes.

Dunne is a fan of the Tigers, but not in Detroit. She and Skenes met while both were athletes at LSU. They bonded over the stress of their popularity and their excellence in their sports. Even after both finished their collegiate careers, they remained close. Dunne has become a big supporter of the Pirates as a result.

While they have the celebrity of Dunne on their side, the Pirates have not done much to get her excited. Skenes, per usual, has been dominant. However, the Pittsburgh offense has let their ace down throughout the season. The 23-year-old has a 4-6 record despite entering Thursday's game with the best ERA in baseball.

Pittsburgh has tried everything to turn their season around. The Pirates fired their manager, but continue to struggle at the bottom of the National League.

Things have been so bad that Skenes' name was in trade rumors earlier in the season. While Pittsburgh and their ace vehemently denied the validity of those rumors, that has not stopped teams from calling about his availability.

Even though they are struggling, the Pirates can rely on Skenes to keep them in every game he starts. They can also count on Dunne to stay loyal to him and the team, despite the best efforts of opposing mascots.

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