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Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani faced off against a red-hot Paul Skenes at PNC Park on Wednesday. The Pittsburgh Pirates hurler seemingly got the better of Ohtani in his first at-bats in the game.
Shohei Ohtani is one of the most feared hitters in the game, and his numbers for the Dodgers this season back his credentials. However, Skenes wasn't to be intimidated by arguably one of the best hitters in the game.
Skenes took the challenge head-on and hurled three thunderbolts 101.3, 100.1 and 100.8 mph, inducing a swing from Ohtani on all three of them. Ohtani reflected on his whiffing on the three pitches after the game, commending the Pirates pitcher.
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"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.”
Although Skenes won the first battle, Dodgers superstar Ohtani came roaring back in his second at-bats. The Pirates pitcher stuck to his guns with rapid fastballs, but Ohtani had seen plenty by now and got hold of Skenes' fastball to launch it for a massive two-run homer over centerfield.
Paul Skenes tipped his hat to Shohei Ohtani after electric showdown
Paul Skenes was at his sublime best against a star-studded lineup that featured Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Despite conceding a home run to Ohtani in the third inning, Skenes remained positive about his outcome, lauding the Dodgers superstar.
“Kind of got to tip your cap,” Skenes said. “He’s a good player. Stuff like that is going to happen. They have other really good players, too. And frankly, that’s why we play the game, for matchups like that. Not happy I gave it up, but it’s part of the game.”
Skenes was in a jam in the top of the fifth, facing Teoscar Hernandez with the bases loaded. But the Pirates ace did well to come out unscathed to preserve his team's four-run lead.
The 22-year-old promising hurler went five innings long on the night, conceding three runs over six hits and striking out eight batters. His ability to restrict the Dodgers hitters to just three runs was crucial to the Pirates' series-clinching 10-6 win.
