Skenes Dominates Padres as Cruz Snaps Miller's 73-Game Homerless Streak

Paul Skenes velocity touched 98 mph during six innings of three-hit ball in a 1-0 Pittsburgh Pirates victory over the San Diego Padres.

Oneil Cruz launched a 17th home run with two outs in the ninth inning to secure a 1-0 victory for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. The solo shot at Petco Park came off a 98 mph delivery from All-Star closer Mason Miller, marking the first home run Miller had surrendered in 73 consecutive appearances. The last player to hit a home run against Miller was Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on August 5, 2025. This decisive blow supported a dominant performance by reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, who allowed just three hits over six scoreless innings while striking out zero batters and issuing no walks.

Skenes Dominates the NL West

Paul Skenes velocity was a focal point of the outing as the right-hander reached 98 mph on the radar gun, quieting recent concerns regarding a dip in his arm speed. Skenes threw 31 pitches clocked at 97 mph or higher, his highest total in seven starts since the All-Star break. The performance lowered his season ERA against the NL West to 1.12, having allowed only five earned runs across 40⅓ innings. In six starts against that division, Skenes has recorded six quality starts, contrasting sharply with his 4.82 ERA and five quality starts against all other MLB divisions combined.

Breaking a 17-Start Scoring Streak

The Tuesday night victory ended a difficult stretch for the Pirates ace, who entered the game with an 0-3 record and a 6.46 ERA over his previous five starts. By holding San Diego scoreless, Skenes snapped a career-long streak of 17 consecutive starts in which he had allowed at least one run. Prior to this run, his longest stretch between scoreless outings was five games. Manager Don Kelly described the performance as the "best outing in a while" for the pitcher, who was granted extra rest last week to recover his form.

Statistical Milestones and Execution

This game represented the fourth time this season that Skenes completed at least six innings without issuing a single walk, a feat he had not achieved since May 12. The pitcher noted that the most encouraging aspect of the night was his execution rather than the raw data. Skenes joked about the stadium radar gun being "hot" due to the high velocities recorded by both himself and Miller. The win moved the Pirates past a period of struggle for their starter, who had faced scrutiny following a recent downtick in his physical metrics during early August starts.

Miller’s Rare Vulnerability

Mason Miller, a Pittsburgh native pitching for San Diego, saw his historic streak end on a low 98 mph pitch that Cruz lined into the short porch in right field. Miller’s second appearance for his new team in 2025 was the last time he had given up a long ball before Tuesday's ninth-inning sequence. Despite Miller’s reputation for high-velocity dominance, the Pirates managed to extract the game's only run during the final frame to clinch the win in Southern California.