Paul Skenes Holds No-Hitter Into 6th, Pirates Beat Padres 7-1

This article recaps a standout MLB performance. Paul Skenes, last year’s NL Cy Young winner, carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates toppled the San Diego Padres 7-1.

Skenes struck out six over 6 1/3 innings. The Pirates’ bullpen locked down San Diego, and the offense broke the game open late.

The win showed off the Pirates’ depth. Some of their young players are starting to make a real impact, even though Skenes has had a bit of an uneven start this year.

Skenes’ no-hitter bid and the Pirates’ late-firepower

Paul Skenes looked every bit like the dominant pitcher from his Cy Young campaign. He navigated through six-plus innings with precision, allowing just the Padres’ first hit—a Fernando Tatis Jr. single—with one out in the sixth.

Skenes tallied six strikeouts and walked two. He dropped his ERA to 5.54 in a performance that kept San Diego off balance until Xander Bogaerts finally broke through with a homer in the seventh—the first one allowed by a Pirates starter all season.

He left the mound to a thunderous ovation after seven innings. Skenes had given up three earned runs or fewer for most of the night, handing off a comfortable lead to the bullpen.

Breakthroughs at the plate and in the field

While Skenes was cruising, Pittsburgh’s offense kept a steady rhythm. Then, in the eighth, they exploded.

The Pirates plated five runs in the eighth inning, turning what could have been a tense game into a comfortable cushion. Oneil Cruz ripped a key two-run double off Nick Pivetta—who’d been tough, striking out a season-high eight and limiting the Pirates to two runs on four hits through five innings.

Nick Gonzales followed with a two-run single to cap the outburst. This felt like a real moment of vindication for Pittsburgh’s depth, which, honestly, has been quietly turning heads this spring.

In addition to the big swing in the eighth, rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin chipped in with the second and third hits of his major-league career. He collected an infield single in the fifth and later lined a run-scoring single to left-center in the eighth.

Griffin also sprinted home from first on Cruz’s fifth-inning laser down the left-field line. Plays like that really show how the Pirates can manufacture runs and use their speed on the bases.

Buoyed by a shutdown bullpen and a tight defense

Skenes and three relievers held the Padres to just three hits. The starter worked efficiently, and the bullpen slammed the door in the late innings.

The Pirates’ coaches must feel pretty good about how the relievers protected that early lead. They bridged the gap from Skenes to the late-inning rally with nerves of steel.

This mix—a dominant starter leaving with some fire, a bullpen that refuses to blink, and clutch hitting—is what every team wants. That’s how you hang around in a long season, right?

• Paul Skenes: 6 1/3 innings, 6 strikeouts, two walks, ERA 5.54
• Xander Bogaerts: homer in the seventh, Padres’ first off Pirates starters this season
• Oneil Cruz: two-run double in the eighth; sparked the late rally
• Nick Pivetta: season-high eight strikeouts through five innings, two runs on four hits for the Pirates while taking the loss
• Konnor Griffin: two hits (career high for now), including an infield single and a run-scoring line drive

Looking ahead, the series wraps up Wednesday. Michael King will start for San Diego, and Pittsburgh sends out Mitch Keller (1-0, 1.50 ERA).

The Padres need to regroup after a rough night. The Pirates? Well, they’re hoping to ride this bullpen momentum and keep getting production from all over the lineup.

 
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