ESPN News Services
Jun 25, 2025, 05:24 PM ET
Jacob Misiorowski and Paul Skenes needed fewer than 80 pitches each to set new standards for velocity in the first matchup between these 23-year-old flamethrowers.
Misiorowski struck out eight and allowed two hits and two walks in five shutout innings as his Brewers defeated Skenes' Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Skenes lasted just four innings -- matching the second-shortest outing of his career -- while striking out four and allowing four runs, four hits and two walks. All four runs came in the second inning, as the Brewers went through all nine batters.
After Isaac Collins drew a leadoff walk, Brice Turang and Caleb Durbin each followed with a single to center field to load the bases with nobody out. Collins scored on Joey Ortiz's groundout along the first-base line, and Eric Haase doubled to bring in Turang. Sal Frelick connected on a splitter that went to Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales, but an overthrow to catcher Henry Davis at the plate allowed Durbin to come around and score. Christian Yelich increased the lead to four runs with a single to left field that brought in Haase.
It was only the third time in 40 career starts that Skenes has given up as many as four runs, and it snapped a stretch of nine straight starts in which he had allowed two runs or fewer. Skenes also had not allowed a run in the first two innings of a game since Aug. 28, 2024.
According to Sportradar, Misiorowski averaged 99.5 mph and Skenes averaged 98.5 on their fastballs. That represented the highest combined fastball velocity by two starting pitchers in the same game since at least 2009.
Misiorowski reached at least 100 mph on 19 of his 74 pitches while establishing a career high of 102.4 mph, the fastest strikeout pitch for a Brewer in the pitch tracking era (since 2008), according to ESPN Research. And Skenes got to 100 mph once out of 78 pitches. Since at least 2009, this marked the most combined 100 mph pitches by opposing starters for any game in which both reached that threshold at least once.
There have been 19 times since 2000 in which a single pitcher has thrown at least 20 pitches of at least 100 mph, but in none of those instances did the opposing starter also reach 100 mph.
Through his first three career starts, Misiorowski owns a 3-0 record and 1.13 ERA. He has struck out 19 while allowing only three hits and seven walks over 16 innings. He is the first pitcher since 1900 with as many or more wins as hits allowed over his first three major league appearances (minimum 15 innings pitched), according to ESPN Research.
The performance increased Skenes' career ERA from 1.91 to 2.03 and dropped his record this season to 4-7.
Reliever Trevor Megill threw a perfect ninth for his 18th save of the season as Milwaukee has won six of its past seven games.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
