LOS ANGELES, CA — Shiver me timbers, boys. Today, the most exciting rookie pitcher in baseball, Paul Skenes, blows into LA with a record of 6-1 and an ERA of 1.99, including 107 strikeouts over 86 innings pitched. We have all read how the number one pick overall in the 2023 MLB Draft has dominated big league batters from day one of his professional life. He will not face the powerful Dodger lineup that is missing Max Muncy and Mookie Betts due to injuries. However, the current lineup still includes Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández, Cotui, Dominican Republic, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith at the top of the order. The Dodgers will send out rookie River Ryan (1-0, 1,72 ERA).
River Ryan's 2Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/FI0OGt8L6s
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 11, 2024
The Dodgers scored one run in the first on doubles by Hernández and Gavin Lux. Two innings later, with runners on second and third, Lux struck again with a soft single to right that scored both Hernández and Nick Ahmed, giving the Dodgers a lead of 3-0. Ryan was pitching well over 4.2 innings when in the top of the fifth inning, after retiring the first two batters and a 2-1 count on the number nine Pirate batter, Ryan threw wide for ball three, was visibly in pain, and had to leave the game because of right forearm tightness and chances are he will miss the rest of the season.
Could he have hurt it on a spectacular play on a slow roller to the third base side on the first batter of the game? It was an awkward throw.
Just a reminder that pitchers are athletes, too 😲 pic.twitter.com/yMCNpK0Kj0
— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2024
The Dodgers would add one more run off of Skenes in the fifth inning on a 427-foot bomb into the center field pavilion by Hernández to give LA a 4-0 lead. Skenes would leave the game after six innings, giving up six hits, four runs, all earned, one walk, eight strikeouts, and one home run. He threw 91 pitches, 61 for strikes.
427 feet from Teoscar! pic.twitter.com/4XngO2xyJC
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 11, 2024
Those stats look good on paper but only tell part of the story about his performance tonight. Eight strikeouts used to be a big deal, but when Major League Baseball has more strikeouts than hits every year now, it’s not a big deal anymore. Skenes began the game mainly by throwing 98-99mph fastballs and 93mph sinkers with a few curves mixed in. After 50 pitches, he started throwing more breaking balls, including 82-85mph sliders, 80- 86mph curveballs, and a few 86mph changeups. That’s fine, but I expected to see him dominate.
Paul Skenes, 99mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/anMxZ4ytOn
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 11, 2024
It was my first time seeing this young phenom, and to be honest, he looked like a decent major league pitcher but not what he had been hyped up to be. He is big and can throw very hard. His off-speed pitches are slightly above average, but he does have a nasty sinker and an intimidating four-seam fastball. He’s good, but I would hold off on any plans for a bronze plaque for Cooperstown at this time.
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