Paul Skenes struck out nine and pitched two-hit ball through five innings, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
Skenes (11-3) recorded his 16th game with seven or more strikeouts, surpassing Larry McWilliams (1983) for seventh-most by a Pirates starter in a season. In three starts against the Reds, the 22-year-old right-hander has allowed one earned run with 25 strikeouts in 17 innings.
Skenes lowered his ERA to 1.99 on Sunday, the second-lowest through 22 career starts behind Steve Roger’s 1.95 ERA in 1973-74 with the Montreal Expos…