PITTSBURGH – Lance McCullers Jr. delivered an impressive performance on the mound for the Houston Astros, leading them to a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. McCullers pitched six strong innings to secure his first win since a matchup against Tampa Bay on September 21, 2022.
In a closely contested pitching duel, McCullers (1-1) faced off against the Pirates’ star pitcher Paul Skenes. McCullers allowed just two hits and a single walk, striking out seven in the process. This is a relief for the right-hander, who has only recently returned to the lineup after missing two seasons due to injuries. He had struggled to find a victory in his first five starts since being activated in early May.
Paul Skenes (4-6), despite the defeat, put on an admirable show on the mound, surrendering only one run on three hits over eight innings. He struck out eight and allowed just one walk, continuing to showcase his skills despite the Pirates’ recent struggles. Although his win-loss record isn’t representative, with it sitting two games below .500, his impressive 2.05 ERA tells the true story of his season thus far.
The Astros broke the deadlock in the seventh inning when Christian Walker launched a first-pitch sweeper from Skenes into the left-field seats. This marked Walker’s eighth home run of the season. Later in the ninth inning, Isaac Paredes added a cushion to the Astros’ lead with a two-run homer off Pittsburgh reliever Dennis Santana, marking Paredes’ 12th home run for the season.
Supporting McCullers on the mound, Houston’s bullpen came through superbly with Shawn Dubin, Bryan Abreu, and Josh Hader each contributing an inning to complete the game. Hader, notable for being consistent, successfully converted all of his 16 save opportunities this season.
With this win, Houston marked their seventh victory in their last nine games, kicking off the three-game series opener on the right note. This victory was also highlighted as Houston’s sixth shutout this year, while the Pirates have now been kept scoreless ten times over 61 games this season.
The game’s pivotal moment came in the eighth inning when the Pirates attempted a comeback. Trailing by just one run with runners on first and second and only one out, Oneil Cruz grounded into a force-out. The inning abruptly ended when Cruz was caught stealing, spoiling Pittsburgh’s chance to equalize.
A key statistic further frames the evening: Skenes has pitched at least eight innings in three games during his short career, but surprisingly, the Pirates have lost all three.
Looking ahead, Houston plans to send Ryan Gusto (3-2, 4.62 ERA) to the mound for Wednesday night’s game. He will face off against the Pirates’ rookie right-hander Mike Burrows (0-1, 8.64 ERA) in the continuation of this series.