OLIVIA Dunne keeps a happy face despite her boyfriend Paul Skenes suffering the first loss of his MLB career.
Even in defeat, Skenes continued to show why he is potentially the best pitcher in baseball.
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Skenes pitched into the ninth inning for the first time in his career as the Pirates tied 1-1 with the Cardinals.
It yielded a home run early in the game and eventually the game-winning RBI in the ninth, but still produced a stellar line for the night.
Skenes pitched 8 1/3 innings with just two runs and four hits, while striking out eight batters.
It would be a different story if the Pirates lineup produced an extra run on one of their seven hits.
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Despite the loss, Skenes’ girlfriend Olivia Dunne continued to show her support for the Pirates ace.
Dunne shared a photo on her Instagram Story showing her smiling in the Pirates dugout after the game ended.
Skenes also seemed to have a positive attitude after the game, talking about how much he appreciated the crowd’s response when he came out in the ninth inning.
“It was amazing, especially on a Tuesday night,” said Skenes the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“It just shows where we are as a team, where the city is.
“Obviously, I wish I could have finished. It was a cool moment.”
Pirates manager Derek Shelton was impressed with the performance despite the loss, apparently not blaming Skenes.
“He was efficient. He was in the zone, he wasn’t taking walks,” Shelton said.
“He was pretty much in control the whole game.”
Skenes’ ERA now stands at 1.93 for the season in 12 career starts. His record as a starter is 6-1.
He pitched 74.2 innings with 97 strikeouts and just 13 walks to start his MLB career.
The Pirates’ record is 51-50 heading into the trade deadline, and they are expected to be buyers to bolster their lineup.
2024 MLB All-Star Starters
American League
C: Adley Rutschman (Baltimore Orioles)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
2B: Marcus Semien (Texas Rangers)
3B: José Ramírez (Cleveland Guardians)
SS: Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles)
OF: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees)
OF: Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians)
OF: Juan Soto (New York Yankees)
DH: Yordan Alvarez (Houston Astros)
National League
C: William Contreras (Milwaukee Brewers)
1B: Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies)
2B: Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks)
3B: Alec Bohm (Philadelphia Phillies)
SS: Trea Turner (Philadelphia Phillies)
OF: Jurickson Profar (San Diego Padres)
OF: Teoscar Hernández (Los Angeles Dodgers)
FROM: Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Pittsburgh has one of the best pitching rotations in baseball and they could be sneaky contenders if they make the playoffs.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting hopes to move the pieces on time.
“I think we should have been prepared to move forward sooner,” Nutting told reporters.
“I think we must be prepared to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.
“I know [Pirates general manager Ben Cherington] You have that flexibility to look at a broader range of alternatives and options, but also a timeline of when it makes sense to strike.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
