Highlights
- Paul Skenes threw eight scoreless innings on two hits and seven strikeouts to beat the D-backs 1-0 on May 6 at Chase Field.
- Brandon Lowe's 435-foot solo home run in the first inning off Michael Soroka was the game's only run.
- Skenes has not allowed a run against Arizona in three career starts, a streak now at 20.2 innings.
- The loss dropped the Diamondbacks to 17-18; they have lost five of their past six games.
Paul Skenes made Chase Field look like a minor-league park Wednesday night, throwing eight innings of two-hit ball as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 in a game that was never particularly close despite the score.
The 23-year-old defending NL Cy Young winner retired the first 14 batters he faced before allowing a swinging bunt from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and a single from Nolan Arenado — the only two hits Arizona managed all night, according to AP News. Skenes struck out seven and walked none across 97 pitches, 65 of which went for strikes, per Arizona Sports. He improved to 5-2 on the season and now carries a 2.91 ERA and 0.824 WHIP, per AZ Snake Pit. Gregory Soto worked the ninth for his second save.
The only run came in the first inning, when Brandon Lowe hit a 435-foot solo home run off D-backs starter Michael Soroka. Soroka went 6.1 innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits with six strikeouts, per Arizona Sports.
The loss is the latest entry in a miserable stretch for Arizona. The D-backs fell to 17-18 after dropping five of their past six games, a slide that followed a 2-6 road trip through Mexico, Milwaukee, and Chicago, per SI.com. The rotation's ERA sits at 5.42, highest in MLB as of this month. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, improved to 20-17 with a +31 run differential — a mirror image of Arizona's -31.
Skenes has now pitched three career starts against Arizona without allowing a run, a streak of 20.2 innings dating to last season, per Arizona Sports. Wednesday marked the fourth time in his career he has pitched at least eight innings, per News-Daily/Fieldlevel.
The three-game series at Chase Field continues Thursday.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- espn.com retrieved 2026-05-07T07:13:30.467191+00:00
- azsnakepit.com retrieved 2026-05-07T07:13:30.467191+00:00
- apnews.com retrieved 2026-05-07T07:13:30.467191+00:00
- arizonasports.com retrieved 2026-05-07T07:13:30.467191+00:00
- news-daily.com retrieved 2026-05-07T07:13:30.467191+00:00
- si.com retrieved 2026-05-07T07:13:30.467191+00:00
Authored by sam_whitfield. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 2026-05-07T07:13:30.467191+00:00. Every claim traces to a source.
The AM Brief at 6 a.m. sharp, every day