The Pittsburgh Pirates ended their two-game skid in emphatic fashion Thursday night, shutting out the Cincinnati Reds 7-0 at PNC Park, even as Paul Skenes’ historic Major League streak came to an end.
Skenes (7-8) allowed a career-high seven hits across six shutout innings, ending his MLB-record streak of 46 consecutive starts allowing six hits or fewer to begin a career. The previous record holder was Shohei Ohtani, with 31 such starts from 2018 to 2021.
Nevertheless, Skenes continued his dominance, striking out eight batters on 97 pitches and extending his scoreless streak to 27 2/3 innings. He hasn't allowed an earned run at home since June 3 and has not surrendered one to the Reds since June 17, 2024.
The Pirates' offense backed their ace early. Bryan Reynolds launched a 391-foot solo homer in the first inning off Reds starter Brady Singer (9-9), who allowed six hits and four runs in just 3 2/3 innings. After Reynolds' blast, Singer walked three consecutive batters, setting up Jared Triolo’s two-run single to push Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-0. The Pirates have now scored 18 first-inning runs over their last seven games.
Pittsburgh added insurance throughout the night. In the fourth, Spencer Horwitz delivered an RBI single, and in the sixth, Oneil Cruz drove in another run. Henry Davis capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the seventh, his second hit of the night.
Skenes faced former teammate Ke'Bryan Hayes, who went 1-for-3 in his return to Pittsburgh following a trade to Cincinnati on July 30. The Pirates, who had lost two straight to the San Francisco Giants, improved to 50-66 (33-27 at home), while the Reds fell to 60-56 (27-30 on the road).
Pittsburgh’s bullpen, Cam Sanders, Ryan Borucki, and Kyle Nicolas, combined for three scoreless innings to seal the shutout. Skenes remains undefeated in four career starts vs. Cincinnati, with 33 strikeouts and zero earned runs allowed.
The Pirates and Reds continue their four-game series on Friday at PNC Park.
