CINCINNATI — Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes isn’t a big numbers guy, yet he does maintain high standards for himself.

The 23-year-old right-hander allowed four hits and struck out seven in six innings in his final scheduled start of the season on Wednesday night. While he didn't figure in the Pirates' 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in 11 innings, he lowered his ERA to 1.97.

Skenes became the first qualified pitcher with an ERA under 2.00 since Justin Verlander in 2022. He’s the youngest pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA since 20-year-old Dwight Gooden’s 1.53 in 1985.

“I’m actually worse than I was last year,” Skenes said with a wry smile. “It was 1.96 last year. I’m 1.97 this year. Just got to be better. No, it’s cool. I don’t come into the year with any numerical goals."

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