PITTSBURGH -- It took 47 major league games before Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes gave up seven hits to an opposing lineup.

Skenes' record streak of allowing six or fewer hits ended at 46 starts on Thursday night in a 7-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds .

According to OptaStats, the longest such streak to begin a career (excluding openers) previously belonged to Shohei Ohtani , who went 31 starts from 2018-21 for the Los Angeles Angels .

Skenes (7-8) yielded seven hits over six innings Thursday night. He struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 1.94, lowest among qualified pitchers. He also extended his scoreless streak at home to 27 ⅔ innings; he hasn't allowed a run at PNC Park since June 8 against Philadelphia -- and that one was unearned.

"His stuff was elite," Pira

See Full Page