The Associated Press Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday.

PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes struck out nine and gave up three hits in six innings, Oneil Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in two runs each, and the Pittsburgh Pirates shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second straight game, 6-0 on Sunday.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Skenes (6-8) is the first pitcher to have an ERA below 2 through his first 45 starts. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year sits at 1.89 for his career and 1.83 this year, which leads the majors.

Skenes is the only starter this season who hasn’t allowed a first-inning run. He struck out two in the first, including Geraldo Perdomo, who hadn’t fanned in a league-best 39 straight at-bats.

Jake McCarthy had a one-out triple in the second, but Skenes struck out James McCann and retired Alek Thomas on a popup to short. Skenes also worked around a leadoff double by Tristin English in the third.

Cruz walked leading off the Pirates second and the majors stolen base leader with 34 was off and running when Tommy Pham singled to center field on a 1-2 pitch from Zac Gallen for a 1-0 lead.

Gallen (7-12) allowed four runs on five hits in six innings. Arizona scored one run in the three-game series, winning 1-0 in 11 innings Friday night.

More work

The Pirates let Skenes take on a more normal workload again.

It was the fourth scoreless outing in Skenes’ last five starts, but this time he threw 99 pitches — his most in over a month.

“Ramping him back up a little bit,” manager Don Kelly told reporters afterward.

Pittsburgh’s pitching staff is on a bit of a roll right now. The Pirates beat Detroit 6-1 on Wednesday, then lost 1-0 in 11 innings to Arizona on Friday night — the only run in that game was unearned after the Diamondbacks started the final inning with a man on second.

Then Pittsburgh outscored Arizona 8-0 over the final two games of the series.

This was the most pitches by Skenes since he threw 105 at Detroit on June 19. In his next five starts, he did not throw more than 88.

Kelly visited the mound in the sixth, drawing boos, but left Skenes in to complete the frame.

“It’s a hot day, he’s approaching 100 pitches. … We’ve kept his pitch count down a little bit,” Kelly said. “Just wanted to make sure that he was in a good spot there to finish it off.”

Skenes has thrown 133 innings this year, matching his total as a rookie in 2024.

Key moment

Skenes hit Eugenio Suarez with a 3-2 pitch leading off the fourth and McCarthy doubled him to third with one out. Skenes then struck out McCann on three pitches and Thomas on six.

Key stat

Skenes has allowed one run or fewer in 14 of 22 starts this season after doing it 14 times as a rookie.

Saturday’s game

Andrew Heaney and five relievers combined on a four-hitter, Cruz hit his team-leading 17th home run and the Pirates beat the Diamondbacks 2-0 on Saturday night.

Heaney (5-9) pitched five innings and allowed two hits with four strikeouts and no walks. It might have been his last start for the last-place Pirates, with Heaney on an expiring contract and the trade deadline Thursday.

David Bednar worked a perfect ninth inning for his 100th career save and 16th this season.

Up next

The Pirates play at San Francisco tonight.