Paul Skenes delivered a dominant outing on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, striking out nine over six and one-third shutout innings to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The performance marked a signature moment for the rookie right-hander, who bested Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a highly anticipated pitching matchup.
Oddsmakers had the Dodgers as clear favorites entering the series opener, with betting lines listing them at approximately -175 on the moneyline. On the other hand, the Pirates came in as underdogs at around +150, but reversed expectations with a strong pitching performance and timely hitting to claim their third shutout in eight games.
Skenes, a 22-year-old Southern California native, appeared unfazed by the spotlight of pitching in front of family and friends. He scattered five hits and allowed just one runner to reach third base, throwing a career-high 108 pitches. Notably, he retired Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts in all three at-bats, showcasing command and poise throughout the night. The outing improved Skenes’ record to 3-2.
The Pirates capitalized early, making Yamamoto work through a laborious first inning. Oneil Cruz drew a walk, stole second base, and scored on a two-out RBI single from Emmanuel Valdez. Pittsburgh added two more runs in the fifth inning, aided by a defensive miscue. Henry Davis reached second base on a throwing error by Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy. Cruz followed with a hard-hit RBI single, clocked at 117.6 mph, and Ke’Bryan Hayes added another run with a single to left field.
Yamamoto, who had entered the game having allowed just one unearned run across his previous three starts, labored through five innings. He surrendered five hits, walked four, and allowed three runs, only one of which was earned. The performance dropped his record to 3-2, marking his shortest outing since early April.
Los Angeles had several opportunities to score but failed to capitalize. In the fourth inning, Freddie Freeman doubled and advanced to third after Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds lost the ball in the lights. Skenes kept Freeman stranded with a groundout, a strikeout, and a flyout. In the fifth, Andy Pages doubled, but Skenes responded by striking out Ohtani with a sharp breaking ball to end the threat.
Three Pirates relievers preserved the lead following Skenes’ exit. The bullpen allowed only one baserunner over the final two and two-thirds innings. David Bednar closed out the win with a scoreless ninth, earning his second-season save.
With the victory, Pittsburgh has now won three of four games during their current road trip through Southern California. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have lost three straight and four of their last five, struggling to maintain momentum after a strong start to their homestand.
The series continues Saturday afternoon with Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki slated to make his sixth major league start. Sasaki enters with a 0-1 record and a 3.20 ERA. The Pirates will counter with right-hander Mitch Keller, who brings a 1-2 record and a 4.18 ERA into the matchup.
