Shohei Ohtani faced Paul Skenes for the first time and both young baseball stars have something to brag about.
After striking out Mookie Betts to open the game, the Pirates’ rookie sensation served the Dodgers’ two-time MVP a 101.3 mph fast ball and two more triple-digit heaters for the strike out.
Ohtani faced Skenes again in third and after a 99.6 mph first-pitch strike, Skenes ran the count full and then threw a 100.1 mph fastball that Ohtani hit 415 feet into dead center.
That was the fastest pitch Shohei has homered off in his career.
In the fifth, Ohtani connected on a 98.1 mph fastball for a one-out single, three batters before Skenes was pulled.
With girlfriend Olivia Dunne watching from the stands, Skenes finished with eight strikeouts, six hits and three earned runs in the Pirates’ 10-6 victory, upping his record to 3-0.
Ohtani has been a two-way star up until this season and Skenes was also an impressive pitcher and batter at Air Force before transferring to LSU to focus on pitching.
“That was what I was trying to be” he said after the game.
