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From pitch one to 100, Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was in complete control. His final out coming on a 100-mph fastball that struck out outfielder Mike Tauchman was apropos of Friday’s 9-3 Cubs loss in which he overpowered the club in his second major-league start.
The offense struck out 11 times and didn’t accumulate a hit against Skenes. The offense was unable to rattle the rookie and force him into long at-bats like they did on Saturday.
His performance elicited statistical comparisons to Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game. Skenes was the marquee attraction in Friday’s game.