Paul Skenes addresses being pulled after seven no-hit innings

Paul Skenes once again threw a gem for the Pittsburgh Pirates, going seven innings without allowing a hit. Just two base runners for Milwaukee, with 11 striking out. Skenes was just six outs away from a historic no-hitter but Derek Shelton decided to pull him.

“He was tired,” Shelton said. “It didn’t really have anything to do with the pitch count. Everybody makes it about pitch count, it was about where he was at. It was about trusting your eyes, trusting him. When I went and talked to him, he was tired. They did a good job of wearing him down. He gave us everything he had.”

While Shelton says pitch count was not a factor, Skenes had already thrown 99 pitches. The seventh inning was quite quick too, as the Brewers went down in order on six pitches. Skenes would have gone well over the 100 mark had he gone out there for two more innings — something he has only done three times early in his career.

But pitch count was apparently not a part of the decision-making, factoring in how tired Skenes looked instead. Skenes understood the decision from his manager at the time. While he wanted to help the Pirates get a win, believing in the bullpen was the route Shelton ultimately went down.

“I wasn’t going to be surprised either way if he sent me out or pulled me,” Skenes said. “We have (Colin) Holderman and (Aroldis) Chapman at the back end of our bullpen. So, I think two of the best guys in the league. So I have a ton of trust in them to be able to finish it.

“Obviously, in a 1-0 game, you wanna stay in there, you wanna finish it. But the volume is getting up there a little bit so I get it.”

The faith in Pittsburgh’s bullpen wound up working out. Holderman escaped the eighth inning after giving up two hits while Chapman pitched a perfect ninth. A 1-0 to close out the series against Milwaukee was what the Pirates needed as they inch closer back to .500 before the All-Star Break.

Skenes will pitch at the All-Star Game before getting back on the mound for the Pirates. Before arriving in Arlington, he made history alongside Nolan Ryan, being the only two to have multiple appearances and allowing no hits while striking out 11.

From there, the goal will be to continue to win games and hopefully get Pittsburgh back into the playoffs.