Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani returns to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
10:56 JST, June 6, 2024
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes struck out eight in five innings, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest pitch in the Majors this season and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-6 on Wednesday night.
Skenes (3-0) gave up three runs on six hits, including a two-run shot by Ohtani in the third. The 22-year-old rookie also struck out the Los Angeles superstar with a 100-mph fastball in the first inning, one of 28 pitches thrown by Skenes and Chapman that reached triple figures.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani hits a two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
Chapman had five pitches of at least 100 mph during the seventh inning, including a 105-mph heat against Teoscar Hernandez on which Hernandez managed to make an error.
Nick Gonzales tied a career high with four RBIs for the Pirates. Edward Olivares and Ke’Bryan Hayes had two hits to drive home a run for Pittsburgh, which used a big second inning against James Paxton (5-1) to take control before holding on late.
Ohtani had two hits for the Dodgers. Andy Pages hit his sixth home run of the season and Jason Heyward doubled three times, but Los Angeles lost for the tenth time in the last fifteen games against Pittsburgh.
Paxton failed to get out of the second inning in his shortest start of the season. The Pirates hit him for seven runs (six earned) in the frame, highlighted by two-run singles from Gonzales and Bryan Reynolds. Paxton lasted just 1 2/3 innings, while his ERA ballooned from 3.29 to 4.19.
Skenes, a 22-year-old rookie, came out firing against the high-powered Dodgers. He struck out Mookie Betts and Ohtani to start the game, but Los Angeles eventually settled down and applied steady pressure on the 6-foot-4 right-hander. Ohtani took a 100 mph fastball and sent it to the Los Angeles bullpen past the center field wall for his 15th homer of the year.
Skenes needed 91 pitches to get through five innings, even after taking an early lead. He showed some growth in the fifth. Pages homered and Los Angeles then loaded the bases with two outs. Skenes stayed in and he got Hernandez to ground out to third base to end the threat and escape with a 7-3 lead.
The teams traded runs in the late innings. Los Angeles’ last best shot came in the eighth when Ohtani stepped to the plate and faced Colin Holderman with two on and two out. Ohtani flew to the warning track in right to end the inning.
