Pirates, Rays set for pitching duel between Paul Skenes, Ryan Pepiot

The Tampa Bay Rays have owned the better part of pitching matchups through five games this season, but that could change on Wednesday in a matinee finale against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates and perhaps the best young pitcher in baseball.

After getting dominant pitching day-in and day-out, the Rays will face the Pirates' powerhouse, Paul Skenes, in the right-hander's second start this season.

Tampa Bay's Yandy Diaz got to the electric Skenes last June 23, opening the game in Pittsburgh by hitting a 99.5 mph fastball off the right field foul pole for a homer.

Skenes, who received no decision, only allowed that one run in seven innings and struck out eight, but the Rays won 3-1.

In 2024, Skenes posted an 11-3 mark with a sparkling 1.96 ERA and got the starting nod for the National League in the All-Star Game. He won the NL Rookie of the Year and was third in Cy Young voting after fanning 170 batters in 133 innings.

The former LSU ace and 2023 first overall pick made history in his first 2025 start, becoming the youngest No. 1 selection to start on Opening Day -- doing it in less than two years.

Wednesday's game does not necessarily feel like a "must win to save the season" moment for the Pirates, but manager Derek Shelton and his staff certainly will lean heavily on Skenes after the club lost for the fifth time in six outings on Tuesday night.

In his Opening Day start in Miami, a 5-4 Pittsburgh loss on Thursday, Skenes (0-0, 3.38 ERA) allowed two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven and walking two.

"Yeah, I mean, pretty damn good start," Skenes said after his 94 pitches. "I got a little sloppy there at the end. ... It was a cool environment. A lot of energy in the building. Looking forward to next year."

The Rays won in convincing fashion on Tuesday, scoring three times in the first inning of Thomas Harrington's major league debut and breezing to a 7-0 win as starter Shane Baz and relievers Mason Englert combined to strike out 15 batters without a walk.

Facing the team that drafted him in the first round in 2017, Baz used a steeply breaking curveball en route to fanning a career-high 10.

The performance has become typical of the Tampa Bay starting staff's stuff this year.

In 29 innings through five starts, the rotation has fanned 36 batters with just one walk.

"I try not to downplay it too much, but that's our starting staff," said Brandon Lowe, who drove in three runs and slugged his second home run as the Rays won for the fourth time in five outings Tuesday. "It's fun to play behind, and they don't give up too much. It's easy to play behind someone like Baz."

Manager Kevin Cash, who called his starters' performance "pretty incredible," will watch the rotation return to the top, meaning right-hander Ryan Pepiot (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will square off against Skenes in a matchup of fireballers.

Pepiot was dealt no decision Friday in the Opening Day walk-off 3-2 win against the Colorado Rockies.

Lifetime against Pittsburgh, Pepiot is 0-0 with a 2.84 ERA in two starts that totaled just 6 1/3 innings and included nine walks and six strikeouts.

--Field Level Media