Skenes strikes out 7 in debut, Pirates hit 5 homers in 10-9 victory over the Cubs

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes struck out seven over four-plus innings in his major league debut and Yasmani Grandal hit a go-ahead three-run homer as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Chicago Cubs 10-9 on Saturday.

Skenes, the top overall pick in the 2023 draft, showed flashes of why he is considered perhaps the best pitching prospect in a generation. The 21-year-old — who was greeted by a standing ovation by most of the near-capacity crowd, including girlfriend Livvy Dunne — reached 100 mph on 17 of his 84 pitches.

He was electric at times but hardly perfect. Skenes allowed at least one runner in every inning he started — including a solo homer by Nico Hoerner in the fourth — and was pulled after allowing a pair of hits leading off the fifth. He was charged with three runs on six hits with two walks and a hit batter.

“The stuff was really good, I think,” Skenes said. “Just got to get ahead of hitters a little bit, more consistently. But, I think that’ll come.”

Pittsburgh's bullpen imploded immediately after Skenes' exit, allowing Chicago to score seven runs to take the lead, with six coming on walks with the bases loaded, most of them on counts that weren't even competitive.

Pirates relievers Kyle Nicolas, Josh Fleming and Colin Holderman (1-0) threw 26 balls in a span of 31 pitches sandwiched around a 2 hour, 20 minute rain delay in the top of the fifth.

The Pirates' offense, stagnant for most of the last month, picked up the slack.

Grandal's first home run with the Pirates — a shot to the seats above the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field off Keegan Thompson (1-1) — put Pittsburgh back in front in the bottom of the fifth.

Connor Joe, Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen and Michael A. Taylor also homered as Pittsburgh snapped a three-game losing streak. The Pirates' 10 runs were a season-high. Cruz, McCutchen, Taylor and Grandal had two hits each for Pittsburgh.

“We did some really good things today offensively,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. "In fact I said to Connor on the way up, I forgot he hit a three-run homer, it was so long ago. But I think the fact offensively we kept grinding (was good) ... very proud of our offensive group.”

David Bednar allowed Michael Tauchman's sacrifice fly in the ninth but got Cody Bellinger to fly out to deep right field with the tying run on third to pick up his seventh save.

Miles Mastrobuoni had three hits for the Cubs. Tauchman and Seiya Suzuki added two hits apiece for Chicago.

Cubs starter Justin Steele, who had been sharp in his return from a left hamstring strain on Monday against San Diego, wasn't quite as crisp this time around. He allowed six runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in four innings.

Joe and Cruz hit back-to-back homers off Steele in the third and Taylor added a two-run shot in the fourth as Pittsburgh raced to a 6-1 lead that seemed to put Skenes in position to pick up his first victory.

That day will have to wait following a whirlwind few days.

“It’s going to be nice to get into a routine for sure,” Skenes said. “I’m big on routines and so the last week has been kind of tough with that. But, (the) bottom line is you have to go out there and pitch."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: Placed RHP Yency Almonte on the 15-day injured list with a strained right shoulder. Chicago recalled RHP Jose Cuas from Triple-A Iowa to take Almonte's place on the roster. ... 3B Chris Morel exited after five innings with right knee soreness.

Pirates: Placed 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes to the 10-day injured list with low back inflammation and recalled INF Alika Williams from Triple-A Indianapolis. Hayes had sat out each of Pittsburgh's last two games in hopes of a quick turnaround but the team opted to give the Gold Glove winner more time to rest.

UP NEXT

The series wraps up on Sunday. Bailey Falter (2-2, 4.34 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh. The Cubs will start Kyle Hendricks (0-3, 12.00 ERA).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Pittsburgh Pirates' Connor Joe, left, celebrates with Andrew McCutchen (22) after hitting a three-run home run off Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz, right, crosses home plate in front of Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes, left, after hitting a solo home run off Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner, top, rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner, right, is greeted by Michael Busch (29) as he returns to the dugout after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Yasmani Grandal runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Keegan Thompson (71) during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Yasmani Grandal, right, is greeted by third base coach Mike Rabelo (58) as Grandal rounds third on a three-run home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Keegan Thompson during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Yasmani Grandal celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Keegan Thompson during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

From left to right, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitchers Quinn Priester, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller and Paul Skenes stand in the dugout during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. The game was Skenes' major league debut. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Connor Joe, right, celebrates with Andrew McCutchen (22) after hitting a three-run home run off Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Yasmani Grandal watches his three-run home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Keegan Thompson during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes delivers the first pitch in his major league career to Chicago Cubs Mike Tauchman in the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Skenes strikes out 7 in debut, Pirates hit 5 homers in 10-9 victory over the Cubs

Skenes strikes out 7 in debut, Pirates hit 5 homers in 10-9 victory over the Cubs

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes, making his major league debut, delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Lauren Coughlin held onto the lead Friday in the CPKC Women’s Open, while Canadian star Brooke Henderson was derailed by closing bogeys at windy and smokey Earl Grey Golf Club.

Coughlin followed her opening 4-under 68 on Thursday in chilly and windy conditions with a 70 on Friday to get to 6 under, a stroke ahead of Hannah Green and Haeran Ryu. The temperature made it into the 70s after barely climbing into the 60s on Thursday.

“I think I handled it really well overall,” Coughlin said. “It was just really difficult to judge how far the ball was going to go with the wind and the crosswind and how firm the greens got. And they had some tough pins, especially considering the direction of the wind.”

Playing through a smokey haze from wildfires, Henderson bogeyed the final four holes in her afternoon round for a 73 that left her seven strokes back at 1 over. She won the 2018 tournament.

Coughlin is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions. The 31-year-old former University of Virginia player is winless on the LPGA Tour.

On Friday, she had three front-none birdies and dropped a stroke on the par-4 11th. In two rounds, she's 7 under on the first nine holes and 1 over on the second nine.

“I putted extremely well,” Coughlin said. “Two-putted really well all day. Took advantage of the front nine, which you have to, and then kind of hold on on the back nine.”

Green matched Coughlin with a 70. The Australian is a two-time winner this year, taking the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore in February and the JM Eagle LA Championship in April.

“It was tough again out there,” Green said. “There was some pretty strong wind gusts, especially our last few holes, so committing to the shot you were envisioning was kind of difficult.”

Ryu bogeyed the 18th for 69.

“The weather is really bad,” Ryu said. “Is a little bit cold and so windy.”

The 23-year-old South Korean player won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year for her first LPGA Tour title. She was second last week in Ohio in the Dana Open.

Three-time champion Lydia Ko had a 71 to join second-ranked Lilia Vu (70) and Jennifer Kupcho (72) at 3 under. Ko won as an amateur in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an amateur in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.

“It’s not easy — and I think the scores are showing,” Ko said. “Anything kind of under par the past couple days is a really solid round. I’m pretty happy with the way I started this week.”

Kupcho topped the leaderboard at 8 under after birdieing five of the first eight holes in her morning round, then was 5 over the rest of the way. She had a double bogey on the par-4 16th, four bogeys and a birdie on her final nine holes.

“I’m pretty upset,” Kupcho said. “I think in hindsight I still hit 15 greens. Like I was hitting the ball really good. Three-putted 10 and 11 and four-putted 16. I didn’t play bad. Just had a couple shaky putts down the stretch — and that’s going to happen.”

Lexi Thompson was in the group with Henderson tied for 26th at 1 over after a 73 The American plans to play a limited schedule after this season.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Lexi Thompson, of the United States, chips on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, watches her tee shot on the fifteenth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Jennifer Kupcho, of the United States, lines up a putt on the fourteenth green during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

New Zealand's Lydia Ko hits a tee shot on the first hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP)

Korea's Haeran Ryu hits a tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's Brooke Henderson hits a tee shot on the second hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits from the fairway on the sixth hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Lauren Coughlin, of the United States, hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round at the LPGA Canadian Women's Open golf tournament in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)