"I like to call that big on big" - Paul Skenes reflects on riveting Shohei Ohtani showdown in Pirates' thumping win over Dodgers

Paul Skenes and the Pittsburg Pirates made it two wins in a row against the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch the series on Wednesday. Pirates ace Skenes was in the thick of the action, with his showdown against Shohei Ohtani being one of the highlights of the game.

Skenes' matchup against Dodgers superstar Ohtani was one of the most anticipated showdowns heading into the second game of the series between the Pirates and the Dodgers.

The matchup lived up to expectations, as Skenes had Ohtani whiffing at three fastballs, all clocked over 100 mph, in his first at-bats of the game. Skenes even got a standing ovation from a pumped crowd at PNC Park after getting the better of the Dodgers' top-three in the first inning.

However, Skenes' strategy to attack Ohtani with fastballs didn't work the second time, as the Japanese phenom smoked a two-run homer in his second at-bat against Skenes. But Skenes wasn't bogged down by the home run:

“I like to call that big on big, because I obviously beat him a couple times earlier,” Skenes said. “I think that was the right pitch to throw there. He’s just a pretty darn good player. Stuff like that is going to happen.”

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Pirates manager Derek Shelton hails Paul Skenes' fortitude

Paul Skenes was up against one of the most feared hitting orders in the MLB this season. Despite facing three former MVPs, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani, Skenes didn't waver from his gameplan.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton commended the 22-year-old pitcher's indomitable mental strength from the mound.

"I think the one thing we're learning about him is he's not afraid to go after people,” Derek Shelton said. “He went right after a really good lineup. Again, the top three guys all have MVP trophies."

Even though Ohtani launched a massive homer off Skenes' fastball, the Japanese superstar acknowledged the difficulty of facing the young pitcher.

"The stuff itself was really good,” Ohtani said via interpreter Will Ireton. “As you saw in the first at-bat, I couldn't really put together good swings. Rather than the velo, it's really the angle and the release."

Paul Skenes' three-run outing helped the Pirates restrict the Dodgers to six runs in the game as the home team won 10-6 to clinch the three-game series with a game to spare.