Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes walked onto the Ingomar Franklin Park Little League field after spotting the lights while driving through the suburbs on Monday. The visit was unannounced and drew a handful of young players out onto the grass, according to the Mikey and Big Bob Show of 96.1 FM in Pittsburgh.
Skenes remained on the field for roughly two hours and spent that time playing catch with some of the little leaguers, the radio program reported. The appearance followed the completion of practice sessions at the complex and was described as an impromptu stop.
The stop came amid another strong season for Skenes. He entered the week with a 2.83 ERA and a league-leading 6.31 strikeout-to-walk ratio, numbers that underline his role as a staff anchor for the Pirates.
Skenes has posted stretches of dominance this year, allowing zero earned runs in four of his 13 starts. Those outings have contributed to his low ERA and his standout K/BB mark.
The brief, informal visit gave the young players several innings of catch and a close-up encounter with a major-league starter. The moment was relayed to listeners by the 96.1 FM program, which provided the initial account of Skenes’ stop at the Ingomar Franklin Park fields.
