Skenes perfect into 7th, Griffin hits first 1st career homer in Pirates’ 6-0 win over Brewers

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Paul Skenes had a perfect game into the seventh inning, Konnor Griffin hit his first career home run on his 20th birthday and drove in three runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-0 on Friday night.

Skenes (4-1), the NL Cy Young winner, didn’t allow a base runner until Jake Bauers’ sharp single to right with two outs in the seventh. He was vying to become the first pitcher to throw a perfect game in American Family Field, previously known as Miller Park, which opened in 2001. There have been two no-hitters.

Skenes gave up one hit over seven shutout innings. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. He threw 93 pitches — 62 for strikes.

Mason Montgomery and Isaac Mattson completed the one-hitter.

Skenes had another no-hitter close call in Milwaukee on July 11, 2024, when he allowed no hits over seven innings in a 1-0 win. The Brewers’ only hit in that game was Bauers’ single off Colin Holderman in the eighth.

Griffin hit a solo shot off Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff (2-1) in the third.

Nick Gonzales’ run-scoring single in the fourth extended the Pittsburgh lead to 2-0. The Pirates added another run in the fifth on Oneil Cruz’s RBI force-out. Ryan O’Hearn doubled and scored on Spencer Horwitz’s single as the Pirates lead grew to 4-0 in the sixth.

Griffin’s two-run single in the eighth put the Pirates up 6-0.

The Brewers made a series of moves prior to the game, recallin...