Paul Skenes threw eight brilliant innings in one of the best outings of the young star's career, Brandon Lowe hit a solo homer and the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 on Wednesday night in Phoenix.
Skenes -- the reigning National League Cy Young award winner -- retired the first 14 batters he faced until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a soft dribbler down the third-base line for a single. The right-handed pitcher tried to make the play, but his throw was well wide of first base.
Nolan Arenado followed with a line drive single to left, but that was the final baserunner Skenes allowed. The 23-year-old struck out seven, including the final three batters he faced in the eighth.
He threw 97 pitches, including 65 strikes.
Gregory Soto worked around a one-out walk in the ninth to earn his second save.
Skenes is now 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in four career starts against the Diamondbacks, including three straight scoreless starts, according to ESPN Research. He's the first pitcher with three straight scoreless starts of six-plus innings against the D-backs.
He is also the first Pirates pitcher with eight-plus innings and two or fewer baserunners allowed since Doug Drabek in 1991, per ESPN Research.
Lowe's homer to center field was a towering, 435-foot shot that bounced off the batter's eye. Bryan Reynolds earned his 1,000th career hit on a single in the third and finished with two hits and a stolen base.
D-backs right-hander Michael Soroka (4-2) gave up several hard-hit balls in the first -- including Lowe's homer -- but had more success as the game progressed. He went 6⅓ innings, giving up seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Skenes (5-2) has never thrown a nine-inning complete game in his big league career. He threw 8⅓ innings once in 2024 and threw an eight-inning complete game last season in a 1-0 loss against the Phillies.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report