Skenes stays hot with three scoreless innings in second Class AAA start

INDIANAPOLIS -- The anticipation around Paul Skenes and his inevitable call-up to Pittsburgh builds every time he touches the baseball within the Pirates' farm system, and he turned up the gas in his second Class AAA start for Indianapolis Friday at Victory Field. 

In three innings, he held Memphis scoreless while allowing one hit, walking a batter, and striking out six. He threw 44 pitches and 32 for strikes while painting corners with ease. Of the 27 fastballs Skenes threw, 13 touched 100 mph. His fastball topped at 101.3 mph. in the second inning, and the average velocity of his four-seam fastball was 99.8 mph.

Skenes picked up exactly from where he left his first Class AAA start March 30 at Louisville. He struck out the side on 12 pitches to begin the game and did so with vigor. Nine of his pitches were thrown for strikes and all three strikeouts were recorded via swings at 100 mph. fastballs just above the strike zone. He mixed in three sliders and one curveball in that first inning. Two sliders and one curveball were taken for balls low and outside of the zone.