When a pitcher strikes out the first six batters of a game, bunting on the very next pitch is going to get some attention. That is exactly what the Rockies’ Willi Castro did to Paul Skenes on Tuesday. After Skenes easily caught the bunt for the out, the star pitcher smiled and said a few words. Lip readers quickly guessed Skenes was mocking Castro with a sarcastic “nice bunt.”

However, Skenes said they got it wrong and cleared the air.

“I don’t think I said anything to him,” Skenes told reporters postgame. “I don’t think I’ll ever say anything to the opposition. But I thought that was kind of funny.”

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Skenes, though, credited the fans for being “good lip readers,” while admitting what he said was for himself, not directed to anyone else.

The drama unfolded in the third inning when Skenes was looking like a Goliath on the mound. Skenes looked unstoppable and struck out the first six batters he faced, and Castro stepped to the plate. PNC Park was waiting to see if his no-hitter gets extended, but not Castro. “Why not hit even if you can’t score?” was the Rockies’ $12.8M hitter’s mantra.

He bunted the very first pitch he saw. Even though it resulted in an easy out, it halted Skenes’ no-hitter bid for the day. PNC Park booed, and Skenes was seen mumbling to himself with a smile.

He proceeded to sit down 12 more batters in a row, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning until Mickey Moniak broke it up. Skenes ended the day with 10 SOs. With this, Skenes has now allowed no runs in his last 16 innings and allowed only 4 hits and no walks.

If O’Neil Cruz’s blunders had not occurred in the opening game, which caused Skenes to give up five runs in 0.2 innings, his current 1.98 ERA would have been far lower.

The Pirates are looking supportive of Paul Skenes in 2026

Till last year, the Pirates were accused of not doing enough to support Skenes. Their batters were not performing, and pitchers couldn’t match Skenes. Thus, despite Skenes’ dominance last year, the Pirates couldn’t manage a good season. This season looks different.

The Pirates are currently enjoying a strong, competitive start, having recorded 23-19 and contending for the top of the NL Central. Under manager Don Kelly, the team is exceeding expectations with a balanced, improved offense and solid pitching, aiming to stay in the postseason race.

After Paul Skenes, the Pirates’ top performer is Nick Gonzales. He is currently hitting .316 over 37 games. Moreover, his 43 hits are the most on the team and rank in the top 10 for batting average in the entire league.

The bullpen is finally stepping up to support the rotation, led by Mason Montgomery. His fastball averages 98.5 mph and has fetched him 23 SOs in 15.2 innings. His curveball and slider recorded a whiff rate of 45.5% and 45.0%, respectively. For example, in the series decider against the Giants, the Pirates were defeated, but Montgomery struck out five straight batters to keep it tied at 4-4 late.

2026 is seeing an unexpected pairing of Skenes and the Pirates. Fans have all the reasons to dream of a postseason this time.