Rookie Paul Skenes finishes 11-3 with 1.96 ERA, retires 6 straight batters in Yankee Stadium debut

NEW YORK (AP) — Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes ended a formidable rookie season by retiring six hitters so as, together with strikeouts of New York stars Juan Soto and Aaron Choose on Saturday in his Yankee Stadium debut.

A high contender for NL Rookie of the Yr, the 22-year-old right-hander completed 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 begins and 133 innings — 29 innings shy of qualifying for the Nationwide League ERA title. He struck out 170 and walked 32.

Skenes’ ERA is the second-lowest for a rookie with a minimum of 20 begins since ERA turned an official statistic in each leagues in 1913, above solely Reb Russell’s 1.90 for the Chicago White Sox in 1913.

Skenes threw 4 pitches over 100 mph, ending with precisely 100 pitches of 100 mph or larger this season. Los Angeles Angels right-hander José Soriano is second amongst beginning pitchers with 40.

With girlfriend and LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne within the stands, Skenes threw a 99.8 mph fastball on the excessive, outdoors nook that Soto took for a known as third strike. Choose struck out swinging at a sweeper that was outdoors.

“He’s been one of many large tales in main league baseball this yr, first choose, doesn’t break camp and finally ends up beginning within the All-Star sport,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone stated earlier than the sport. “He’s clearly had an outstanding yr. I believe our guys are wanting ahead to going through clearly a participant that’s actually, actually type of taken the league by storm and emerged as one of many sport’s excellent starters.”

Skenes threw 17 of 23 pitches for strikes, together with 12 four-seam fastballs that averaged 99.4 mph.

San Diego outfielder Jackson Merrill is the opposite high Rookie of the Yr contender, getting into Saturday with a .292 common, 24 homers, 90 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.

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