Skenes and Pirates relievers shut the Dodgers out on Friday night / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are not an easy outing for any pitcher, no matter how good. The Dodgers, rolling back many of their key bats from 2024, made relatively easy work of the National League playoff field and the American League champion New York Yankees to hoist the trophy to put a capper on last season.

Paul Skenes drew the Dodgers assignment on Friday and was up to the challenge, shutting their bats out through six and a third innings. It was not all easy, including one thorny Shohei Ohtani at-bat that could have changed the game had Skenes not locked in and thrown his best stuff.

Skenes seemed to relish the challenge, speaking highly of the battle after the game with the media.

“This is where baseball gets really fun, I think, to find different ways to get them out,” Skenes said, H/T Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. “Ohtani saw all my pitches today. Freddie [Freeman], I think, saw all my pitches today. They’ve all seen all my pitches. I’m not hiding anything from them, and they’re not hiding anything from me.”

Baseball at its purest. No deception or flair, just all-out skill vs. skill.

Through six starts, Skenes has a record of 3-2 with a 2.39 ERA. The Pirates currently occupy the last spot in the NL Central, six games back. Fans have expressed their displeasure with the franchise’s seeming reluctance to build around Skenes, showering “sell the team” chants aimed at ownership since the first home game of the season.

Published 8 Minutes Ago|Modified 11:48 AM EDT