Paul Skenes' girlfriend Olivia Dunne reacts to Pirates ace's jaw-dropping 9k gem

Although the Pittsburgh Pirates haven't been great this season, their ace Paul Skenes continues to deliver from the mound, solidifying his case for a maiden National League Cy Young Award.

The Pirates flamethrower was at his usual sublime best in Sunday's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Skenes pitched six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts to shut out the Diamondbacks for a 6-0 win.

Skenes' girlfriend and former LSU Tigers gymnast Olivia Dunne reacted to the Pirates ace's dominance from the mound at PNC Park. She shared the highlights from his outing in her Instagram story.

"OKKKKKKKKKay," Dunne wrote acknowledging Skenes' nine strikeouts.

Dunne announced her retirement from gymnastics earlier this year and has been an ever-present figure in the stands for Paul Skenes' starts. She was with the reigning NL Rookie of the Year at the All-Star Game festivities, walking the red carpet and rooting for the NL starter in the Midsummer Classic earlier this month.

Sunday's performance helped Paul Skenes lower his season ERA to 1.83, the best in the major leagues. He boasts a 1.89 career ERA, the best for any pitcher after going through their first 45 starts.

Paul Skenes reflects on Pirates' trade deadline plans after series win against Arizona

While the Pirates ace has been almost perfect in 15 starts, his team is unlikely to make the postseason in his second season in the major league. Pirates' struggles have also sparked trade rumors ahead of the deadline. However, Skenes seems committed to the cause.

"You know, we can play GM and do all that," Skenes said on trade scenarios. "But with the deadline coming, obviously, we need to make the team better for next year and, hopefully, put us in a position where we can make some moves in the offseason, too. So that's kind of what I'm expecting, that's what I'm hoping.

"I know that's what a lot of other guys in this locker room are hoping, 'cause, I think, obviously out on the field, we have some guys who've grown this year, who've gotten better, and other guys who've, you know, probably under-performed a little bit."

Skenes helped the Pirates to a series win over the Diamondbacks after consecutive shutout wins over the weekend. They'll be looking to extend their winning streak when they face the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash