Pirates beat Tigers, help Paul Skenes to 1st win since May 28

If Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has felt individual frustration because of his club rarely offering him run support this season, he’s kept those sentiments close to the vest.

After a lopsided post-All-Star break sweep at home to the woeful Chicago White Sox, Skenes, winless for nearly two months, looked to reverse the Pirates’ fortunes and snap a three-game skid Monday.

Opposing him was a Detroit Tigers club that arrived at PNC Park as the first in MLB to reach 60 wins this season.

Against one of MLB’s best teams, Skenes was solid, pitching six scoreless frames, striking out six with a walk and three hits in a 3-0 shutout.

“He’s that ace man, going out there, stopping the bleeding and (was) just dominant,” manager Don Kelly said. “Did a great job. Everything was clicking, threw strikes, got ahead — just a fantastic outing.”

Skenes (5-8, 1.91 ERA) picked up his first victory since May 28 and his first at PNC Park since April 14, throwing 55 of his 86 pitches for strikes in front of a crowd of 19,379.

Monday was also the first time Skenes pitched more than five innings since June 19, a result of workload management.

After he exited, Braxton Ashcraft, Dennis Santana and David Bednar pitched an inning each to close out the game.

Bednar (2.38 ERA) picked up his 14th save.

Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (5-10, 4.77 ERA) lasted only three innings, allowing three runs on six hits.

“We did a good job,” Skenes said. “At the end of the day, it’s a shutout. I think I heard it’s our 11th shutout of the year, so that’s pretty good. Braxton came in, Dennis, (Bednar) came in and did a really good job. I was happy with it, but I know they were happy with it, too.

“Glad we got that lead early, got (Flaherty) out of the game — we did a really good job offensively today. It made it easier to pitch, for sure.”

In the bottom of the second, Spencer Horwitz gave the Pirates (40-61) a 1-0 lead by lifting an RBI single into right field, scoring Ke’Bryan Hayes, who led off with a single.

Hayes had remained on first base after Jack Suwinski struck out and Detroit center fielder Parker Meadows robbed Henry Davis of extra bases with a leaping grab at the wall.

But after Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked, moving Hayes to second, Horwitz came through with two outs.

Andrew McCutchen then drew a walk to load the bases before Bryan Reynolds made it 3-0 with a two-run hit into right field.

Skenes retired the Tigers (60-41) in order in the first and second innings but had to put out a fire in the third, which began with a Meadows leadoff double.

From there, Matt Vierling just barely beat a throw from third by Hayes, who fielded a softly hit grounder up the line.

Skenes then got the first out of the inning before Colt Keith sent a chopper to Horwitz at first with two men on.

Horwitz made a nice backhand pick on Keith’s hit before erasing Vierling at second.

But Kiner-Falefa’s throw to turn the 3-6-3 double play — though close, like the Hayes play shortly before — wasn’t in time to nab Keith and end the inning.

However, Skenes struck out Gleyber Torres on a 99 mph heater to escape the frame unscathed.

“A leadoff double after a three-run inning isn’t the ideal way to start the next inning, but glad we got a zero there,” Skenes said.

After a clean fifth, Skenes made his way back to the Pirates dugout at 76 pitches before Kelly sent him out to begin the sixth.

The result was a quick frame, with Skenes retiring Detroit in order.

“Very detail-oriented in everything he does,” Kelly said. “He’s got that demeanor to keep things under control. Talking about it before the game, but 23 years old and how impressed we all are with how he carries himself and how he is on the mound. That’s just one facet of the things that he does really well.”

After Ashcraft’s frame, Santana struck out three in the eighth.

Kelly sent Bednar out for the ninth, which featured a diving grab by left fielder Tommy Pham (who replaced Suwinski as a pinch-hitter in the sixth) on Zach McKinstry.

Horwitz finished 3 for 4 with an RBI.