MILWAUKEE (AP) \u2014 The Milwaukee Brewers had the daunting task of facing the AL and NL Cy Young Award winners in consecutive games. The results were mixed, with both ending in losses for the defending NL Central champions.<\/p>\n
After having late-inning success against the Tigers\u2019 Tarik Skubal on Thursday in Detroit, the Brewers had to deal with Pittsburgh\u2019s Paul Skenes and his signature \u201csplinker\u201d pitch, a combination of split-finger and sinker, for which Milwaukee had no answer, leaving Skenes with a perfect game into the seventh inning Friday in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n
Skenes (4-1) didn\u2019t allow a base runner until Jake Bauers\u2019 sharp single to right with two outs in the seventh. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up one hit over seven shutout innings. He struck out seven and didn\u2019t walk a batter.<\/p>\n
Skenes had another no-hitter close call in Milwaukee on July 11, 2024, when he allowed no hits over seven innings in a 1-0 win.<\/p>\n
When asked if that\u2019s the best the Brewers had seen from Skenes in his five outings against them, Brewers manager quickly responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the best I\u2019ve seen from anyone, I think,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n
Skenes\u2019 dominance called for desperate measures, he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was thinking about telling guys just to jump in front of it,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cYou know what I mean? Just jump in front of it and try to get hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Facing ruling Cy Young Award winners had happened just once before in the majors, and it was just last year, according to Sportradar, when the Red Sox faced Skubal and the Tigers in Detroit on May 14 and Atlanta\u2019s Chris Sale at home on May 16. The Red Sox, like the Brewers, lost both games.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the Brewers rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the seventh, with Blake Perkins tying it with a double off of Skubal that scored Gary Sanchez and Luis Matos. David Hamilton then put the Brewers up 4-3 when his single off reliever Tyler Holton brought home Perkins.<\/p>\n
Milwaukee ended up losing 5-4 on Spencer Torkelson\u2019s walk-off home run.<\/p>\n
Skubal was dominant early in the game, retiring the first 11 batters and throwing strikes on 24 of his first 26 pitches. But he didn\u2019t factor into the decision and finished allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out five.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really proud of our club (on Thursday) with our three main guys down and to still compete the way we did,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cYou never like to lose and I\u2019m not into moral victories, but it certainly said something that they got (Skubal) out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the Brewers were stymied by Skenes a night later.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had elite stuff tonight. Perfect game stuff. Really impressive,\u201d Pirates manager Don Kelly said. \u201cSometimes we lose sight of the fact that he\u2019s just in his third season in the big leagues. He\u2019s continuing to get better, which is amazing considering what he\u2019s already done in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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