Paul Skenes overwhelms Cubs hitters with 11-strikeout performance in Friday's 9-3 loss

From pitch one to 100, Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was in complete control. His final out coming on a 100-mph fastball that struck out outfielder Mike Tauchman was apropos of Friday’s 9-3 Cubs loss in which he overpowered the club in his second major-league start.

The offense struck out 11 times and didn't accumulate a hit against Skenes. The offense was unable to rattle the rookie and force him into long at-bats like they did on Saturday.

His performance elicited statistical comparisons to Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game. Skenes was the marquee attraction in Friday's game. His 11 strikeouts were the most ever by a Pirates pitcher at Wrigley Field.

Cubs fans roared in the seventh inning after third baseman Christopher Morel singled on a fly ball to right field to break up the no-hitter, though Skenes was already out of the game. The applause alone shows how much the Pirates’ rookie overwhelmed Cubs hitters this afternoon that they celebrated just getting on base.

“The fastball command was pretty good today and then he was able to tunnel that splitter/sinker, whatever he wants to call it, off of it but throw those really competitively,” Tauchman said. “When you're dealing with somebody with that kind of velocity and they have command and they're making you make split-second decisions, you know you did a good job.”

Skenes utilizes a splitter/sinker hybrid called a “splinker,” which is difficult because of its shape and velocity. Cubs hitters whiffed against it a combined 12 times in both starts against him.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said the pitch “looks like a changeup that moves 95.”

There’s a different sound the baseball makes when it’s thrown by Skenes with his velocity. It makes a loud thud sound after the catcher receives the pitch that is heard throughout a stadium that had 35,372 fans in attendance on Friday. The Cubs whiffed on Skenes' fastball 12 times.

The rookie struck out the first seven batters of the game, the third-longest streak by a rookie starter behind Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom and future Cubs broadcaster Jim Deshaies, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

“The split was really good and they [fastball and splinker] were competitive every single time,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “There's enough velocity difference on those two pitches that it makes it really difficult.”

Skenes averaged 99.3 mph on his fastball and 94.8 mph on his splitter, according to Baseball Savant. The velocity mixed in with precise location made for a long day for Cubs hitters. Skenes became the first Pirates starting pitcher 21 years old or younger with 8+ strikeouts in a game since Don Robinson on April 12, 1979.

The Cubs offense has struggled lately, getting shut out twice against the Braves and failing to even record a hit against Skenes. The offense finished with four hits.

It was a quiet day for the offense until Skenes exited. Catcher Miguel Amaya hit his second homer of the year and Morel had a two-run double in the eighth inning. But other than those brief instances, the offense was quiet because of Skenes' dominance.

“He got to make both his starts against us,” Crow-Armstrong said. “And just as we got to create a different game plan and alter ours, he got to do that to his. With all due respect, it's baseball. I think he's gonna get hit around at some point.”

Skenes has the respect of Cubs hitters after Friday's showing.

“Credit to him today,” Tauchman said. “Obviously, he pitched really well."