Pirates erupt for nine runs to derail Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers 9-7, led by Tommy Pham and Jared Triolo each driving in two. Ohtani logged his 100th Dodgers homer in a two-doubles night, becoming the fastest to 100 with a single team (Dodgers) and surpassing the Angels’ 100-HR pace in games metric. Bubba Chandler was touched for three runs in four innings, but Raleigh-fueled Pittsburgh late surge—Triolo’s two-out, two-run double and a crucial insurance run—sealed the comeback. Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages homered for LAD, while Henry Davis supplied a key Pirates RBI in the sixth. Next up, Pirates rookie Braxton Ashcraft faces Ohtani’s mound opponent in Braxton’s start.

Fantasy managers get a reminder: Pirates’ balanced attack produced productive nights from Pham, Triolo, and Davis, while Ohtani’s milestone night underscores his continued fantasy relevance despite occasional early-season volatility. Kershaw opened rocky, stabilizing for LAD after a tough first inning, but the Pirates bullpen closed the door late. With Ohtani’s historic milepost and a high-scoring slugfest, the week’s bat-to-ball tempo remains lively for both sides.

Paul Skenes carved seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits with seven strikeouts to push his early-career arc toward historic heights as Pittsburgh cruised 4-0 to complete a three-game sweep of Colorado at PNC Park. His 2.20 ERA through 50 starts remains a Live Ball Era benchmark behind only Vida Blue, highlighting why fantasy managers view him as a potential dynasty anchor.

Offensively, Reynolds drew a leadoff walk, McCutchen followed with a single, and Jared Triolo ripped a two-out, three-run homer in the fourth to cap the scoring. Henry Davis later scored on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s double after a walk and stolen base, while Colorado debutant McCade Brown was touched for four runs in 3 2/3 innings as the Rockies’ road woes persisted.

Paul Skenes is a numbers nerd who treats data as the map to his best performances. He reads velocity, drop and movement off the ribbon boards after every pitch to learn what’s working and what isn’t, yet he publicly shrugs at his win-loss tally. The Pirates’ ace streams six innings of solid work against Toronto, punching out eight while yielding five hits, leaving with a no-decision as Pittsburgh finally grabs the lead late. The night shines a light on the enduring debate: is pitcher wins a meaningful stat at all?

While Skenes dominates (2.16 ERA, elite innings and strikeouts), Pittsburgh’s offense struggles, ranking near the bottom in most major categories. That gap between talent and results fuels the fantasy story: imagine a pitcher who can produce quality starts and strikeouts but can’t always snag wins in a win-starved lineup. The piece also celebrates bullpen milestones—Evan Sisk earns his first big-league win after seven years in the minors, backed by Kyle Nicolas and Dennis Santana as the final outs. Off the field, Skenes stays the consummate professional—sleep routines, diet on the road and a relentless focus on routine—because that discipline could sustain him for years.