Mick Abel Shines in Major League Debut, Leads Phillies to Victory Over Pirates
Mick Abel made quite the entrance into the big leagues, outshining fellow rookie Paul Skenes in a thrilling matchup that saw him strike out nine batters over six innings. The Philadelphia Phillies edged out the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep and marking their 15th win in just 20 games. Not too shabby, right?
In the fifth inning, Brandon Marsh grounded into a run-scoring forceout against Skenes (3-5), who, despite his efforts, ended up on the losing side. Skenes pitched a solid three-hitter, racking up nine strikeouts and only one walk, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win in his first complete game after 33 starts in the majors.
It’s been a rough patch for Skenes, who’s now 0-3 in his last four outings, even though he boasts a respectable 2.52 ERA during that stretch. His season ERA of 2.44 ranks fifth among National League pitchers. The top pick in the 2023 amateur draft, Skenes hadn’t pitched a complete game since June 2, 2023, when he was still with Louisiana State, facing off against Tulane in an NCAA tournament regional.
On the flip side, the Pirates are struggling, now sitting at 3-13 for May and 15-32 overall this season. Things have been rocky since manager Derek Shelton was let go, with bench coach Don Kelly stepping in to fill the void. The team has gone 3-6 since the change.
As for Abel (1-0), the 23-year-old right-hander was selected 15th overall by the Phillies in the 2020 draft. He allowed five hits and didn’t walk a single batter, which is pretty impressive for a debut. His nine strikeouts tied the franchise record for a debut, a mark set by Curt Simmons way back on September 28, 1947, against the New York Giants.
Abel was efficient, throwing 62 of his 84 pitches for strikes. His four-seam fastballs averaged a blazing 97.3 mph, and he mixed it up with 22 curveballs, 14 sliders, 11 sinkers, and four changeups. Talk about a diverse arsenal!
The bullpen also played a crucial role, with Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm, and Jordan Romano combining for a six-hitter. Romano was particularly impressive, striking out the side for his fifth save. This game came right after closer José Alvarado was handed an 80-game suspension due to a positive test for external testosterone under MLB's drug-testing program.
In the fifth inning, singles from Nick Castellanos and Max Kepler put runners on the corners, but Alec Bohm flied out, and Marsh’s forceout brought in the only run of the game. Bryce Harper managed to get a hit in the sixth, but that was the only other hit for the Phillies.
The Pirates did threaten in the seventh with a walk and a single, but Kerkering made a great play on a sacrifice attempt by Adam Frazier, retiring the lead runner at third. He then induced a 1-4-3 double play from Isiah Kiner-Falefa, snuffing out the threat.
Skenes’ complete game marked the seventh in the majors this season, which is pretty wild considering how rare those are these days.
Looking ahead, the Pirates will have Mitch Keller (1-5, 4.15 ERA) starting Monday night as they kick off a homestand against Cincinnati and LHP Nick Lodolo (3-4, 3.42). Meanwhile, the Phillies will send LHP Cristopher Sánchez (4-1, 2.91 ERA) to the mound at Colorado, where they’ll face LHP Kyle Freeland (0-6, 6.15).
