'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On Wednesday, Paul Skenes and Jacob Misiorowski faced each other on the mound, while representing the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers, respectively.
The relatively less experienced Misiorowski pitched five shutout innings while striking out eight and giving up two hits in the Brewers' 4-2 win. Meanwhile, Skenes struggled with command on the mound, only lasting four innings in which he gave up four earned runs.
According to team sources, both 23-year-old pitchers linked up in the tunnel and Skenes, who has spent over a year now in the league, spoke about the dark side that comes with the spotlight.
Trending
"You've got to protect yourself, for lack of a better term, obviously, with the media, but I assume if he goes and walks around Milwaukee now, there's going to be more people that recognize him and all that," Skenes said. "If he does what he's supposed to do and everybody thinks he can do, that's not going away any time soon. Get used to it and find ways to find peace and that kind of thing."
Like Skenes, Misiorowski is also proving to be an excellent big league pitcher after three starts already. He is boasting a 3-0 record and 1.13 ERA after three starts.
Jacob Misiorowski praises Paul Skenes after pitching duel
While Jacob Misiorowski did not see the best stuff out of Paul Skenes on Wednesday, the reigning Rookie of the Year has already established himself among the top active pitchers in the MLB.
After Wednesday's game, Misiorowski said of Skenes:
"I've watched plenty of his games. It's awesome to face a guy like that and really compare yourself to some of the best."
Previously, Misiorowski got first-hand experience of what the Pirates pitcher had warned about. He said:
"It was just one of those things that you wanted to try and calm yourself down as much as possible and stay off the internet, because I feel like everything I swiped was me and Skenes, me and Skenes, me and Skenes. I had to mute it, turn it off."
It remains to be seen if the Brewers pitcher replicates what Paul Skenes did in his rookie season.
