Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes mowed down the first two batters he faced in the majors.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 draft made his highly anticipated major league debut on Saturday and blew past Chicago Cubs designated hitter Mike Tauchman and right fielder Seiya Suzuki to record strikeouts for his first two outs.
After walking center fielder Cody Bellinger, he got third baseman Christopher Morel to fly out to end his first inning in the pros.
Skenes’ blistering fastball was on display early as he fired a 101-mile-per-hour four-seamer to Tauchman for a swinging strike three.