Paul Skenes ties career-high strikeouts, pulled after 7 no-hit innings vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes continues to look like one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball.

Skenes tied a career high with 11 strikeouts against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday as the Brewers had no success against the righty.

The former LSU star also did not allow a hit through 7 innings of work before being pulled from the game. He threw 99 pitches and left with the Pirates leading 1-0 in the 8th inning.

Skenes’ final line was 7 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 11 strikeouts.

Paul Skenes has already been named to the NL All Star team, and he is now squarely in the conversation for the Cy Young Award with the way he has been pitching this year.

Skenes has a 1.90 ERA on the season and improved to 6-0 as the Pirates finished off the 1-0 win against the Brewers.

So far this season, Paul Skenes has made 11 starts. He is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. He has 89 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings pitched.

Paul Skenes becomes first MLB pitcher with 7+ Ks in 10 of first 11 career starts

Paul Skenes made history during Thursday’s incredible start against the Brewers.

Skenes started off the game in style as he struck out seven batters through the first three innings, walking just one and keeping the Brewers hit-less.

His seven strikeouts marked the 10th time he has reached that number in his first 11 starts in the bigs, making him the first to accomplish that feat in MLB since at least 1901.

In other words, he’s doing things that nobody has ever done on the diamond as a rookie.

Skenes spent the first two seasons of his college career at Air Force where he was named a two-time First-Team All-American.

He then transferred to LSU ahead of the 2023 season, where he’d help lead the Tigers to a national championship victory in Omaha while being named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player and winner of the Dick Howser Trophy, all after being named the Player and Pitcher of the Year by several publications. He led the nation with 209 strikeouts.

After being selected by the Pirates with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and signing the highest-ever signing bonus for a drafted player ($9.2 million), Paul Skenes quickly made his way up Pittsburgh’s minor league ranks.

He made quick stops with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Pirates, the Single-A Bradenton Marauders and the Double-A Altoona Curve before starting the 2024 season with the Triple–A Indianapolis Indians.

With the Indians, Skenes posted a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 27.1 innings before being called up to the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 11 for his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs.