Paul Skenes strikes out first seven batters he faces in second start of MLB career

Skenes struck out the first batter of the third inning to run the streak to seven consecutive punchouts to start the game before Pete Crow-Armstrong grounded out to first base to end the impressive run. The Cubs remain hitless through five innings, and Skenes has struck out 10 and walked one.

The 2023 first-overall draft pick showed electric stuff in his pro debut, also against the Cubs, but flashed inconsistency and a lack of a putout pitch after getting ahead against batters. Clearly, he's already tweaked some facets of his approach and is firing on all cylinders just a week into his big-league tenure. It's impressive that Skenes shut down a lineup that recently saw his stuff; that kind of familiarity can often be problematic, especially for young arms. 

Skenes's run of seven consecutive Ks to start the game didn't quite set the major league record, set back in 1884, but it's worth noting for the sake of context that this performance would have tied the American League mark if he had pitched for a team in that league. 

Just a couple of starts into his big league career, Skenes is already on the way to living up to the hype as he provides must-watch television, something the Pirates haven't provided in recent years. Pirates fans and neutral lovers of the game can only hope he'll continue putting on a show for the rest of his rookie year and beyond.