In Photos: Olivia Dunne channels pitcher's energy, wears boyfriend Paul Skenes' baseball glove on road trip to Louisville
Paul Skenes is looking superb in the MilB with the Indianapolis Indians, and his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, is also showing her support for the Pittsburgh Pirates prospect. Skenes allowed the first home run of his professional career on Sunday against Buffalo, but given that the Indians won 8-3 and he has recorded a 0.99 ERA this season, his form is unquestionable.
Dunne took to Snapchat on Tuesday to share some clips of her in Louisville, featuring Skenes' glove:
While the Indians have lost both their games versus Louisville (6-2, 4-3), they will look to come out on top in their next meeting on Thursday.
Paul Skenes discusses his form, execution and dealing with the hype
The Pittsburgh Pirates have rebounded a bit after a painful slide, winning three in a row versus the Colorado Rockies and LA Angels. However, they were handed a 9-0 loss on Tuesday vs. Angels.
The Pirates are 17-20 and third in the AL Central, and with Paul Skenes ramping up his playing time in Indianapolis, some are wondering how long until he makes his MLB debut.
The Pirates' most recent update in March suggested that there's no timeline for a call-up. Nevertheless, Skenes has been pitching more innings in games and started against Buffalo on only four days rest.
He spoke to reporters after the game, discussing playing on four days rest, as well as his execution and form (via MiLB.com):
"The biggest thing is just the learning experience of it all. Doing the five day is a little bit different, so (I'm) just trying to figure out the routine of it and getting used to it.
"It was a little bit inconsistent. Early in the game, it was really good, late in the game I kind of started laboring a little bit. Maybe trying too hard on certain pitches, but I think it was good overall."
Skenes also addressed the hype surrounding his form and future:
"All that is cool, but it's just noise," Skenes said. "(I) got to get back to what I do well and just execute against the hitters because without that everything else goes away."
Paul Skenes will have a lot of attention paid to his performances in the minors, and the No. 1 pick from the 2023 MLB draft could yet play a part for Pittsburgh this season.