Paul Skenes gets yelled at by the umpire, a breakdown

What Happened

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes takes the mound against the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Skenes opens the at-bat against Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki with a 95 mph sinker that has heavy movement. He follows it up with a blazing 100 mph four-seam fastball that rises at the top of the zone. Skenes gets ahead 0-2 on Suzuki and then goes back to the four-seam, which has tremendous run on it. On the 1-2 pitch, Skenes throws a slider away that Suzuki takes for a good at-bat. After the strong sequence, Skenes dances off the mound, thinking he has recorded strike three. However, the umpire has not made a call yet, and he admonishes the young pitcher, telling him to wait for the umpire's decision. Pirates manager Derek Shelton immediately comes out to defend Skenes, yelling at the umpire not to yell at his player. The umpire stands his ground, saying Skenes can't assume the call before he makes it. Skenes listens intently, realizing his mistake, and the umpire and manager continue their heated discussion. On the next pitch, Skenes jams Suzuki with a 3-2 fastball, but the Cubs outfielder pokes it into center field for a single. Despite the earlier incident, Skenes maintains his composure and continues competing. The exchange between Skenes, the umpire, and Shelton highlights the intensity and passion of baseball, with each side standing up for their respective positions. Skenes, a highly touted prospect, learns an important lesson about deferring to the umpire's authority, while Shelton demonstrates his unwavering support for his young player. This competitive yet respectful back-and-forth is a microcosm of the sport's enduring allure.

Full Transcript

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rookie Phenom Paul skin is on the bump

against the Cubs I feel like he's faced

them five times this year bottom of the

first inning two outs this one's brought

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