Two of the most dominant pitchers in the majors were in opposing dugouts Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
One — Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet — made his final appearance before the All-Star break.
The other — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes — had just thrown seven no-hit innings the previous day against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Skenes watched Crochet retire all six batters he faced, striking out four, in a designed shortened start. Crochet was long gone before the Sox lost 4-1 in front of 19,548 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“We’ve had that plan in place just so we could take full advantage of the break,” Crochet said of the 28-pitch outing. “If workload management became a thing, would it be skipping a start or would it be kind of staying on routine and shortening starts, and that was what I voted for.
“Just a five-day routine and being able to stay on that and get through the year healthy, that’s the goal.”
Crochet has a 3.02 ERA and 150 strikeouts at the break. He became just the third Sox pitcher with at least 150 strikeouts before the break, joining Chris Sale (157 in 2015) and Dylan Cease (150 in 2022).
“An incredible first half,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
Skenes also knows a thing or two about strikeouts. And the Pirates pitcher had plenty of praise for Crochet.
“It’s fun to watch. He’s unlike any other pitcher I’ve ever seen in terms of how he moves,” Skenes said before Friday’s game. “I don’t know a whole about his repertoire, but I know how his body moves and it’s kind of what I pay attention to. It’s interesting.
“It’s really fun to watch, to watch him do it every outing for six or seven innings and punch out the guys he’s doing with the ERA and all that. The stats speak for themselves. He’s a crossfire lefty, but he has something like 7 feet of extension and also throws 99 to 100 (mph). It’s tough for hitters. It’s a different angle, obviously, than me. But trying to pick stuff off him as I watch him.”
Crochet has had a breakout season moving from the bullpen to the rotation, earning a spot on the American League All-Star roster. And Skenes has created a buzz throughout the game with each outing during his rookie year, receiving the starting nod for the National League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
He will be the fifth rookie pitcher to start and the first since Hideo Nomo in 1995.
“Being able to say you started an All-Star Game in the first place is cool, but getting the opportunity to do it now in my rookie year is really cool also,” Skenes said.
Skenes is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 13 walks in 11 starts. He struck out 11 during the seven no-hit innings Thursday against the Brewers at American Family Field.
“I didn’t really realize it was a no-hitter until the sixth or seventh,” Skenes said. “I was more frustrated I was at 60 pitches through three innings. I was worried about covering my innings and getting us in a position to where we could get it to the back end of our bullpen and win the game.
“In a 1-0 ballgame, no-hitter or not, you’re one pitch away from tying it up. It was a matter of executing, doing my job and getting it to the next guy.”
Crochet said watching Skene’s outing Thursday was “really cool.”
“Watching him pitch and do what he’s done this year has been remarkable to do it at such a young age (22),” Crochet said.
The Sox planned for Friday’s game to be a short night for Crochet, who will go to the break with 107 1/3 innings pitched, well past his previous high of 54 1/3 in 2021.
“Our goal was to make sure we limit him today and give him that really nice break that both him and (starter Erick) Fedde deserve,” Grifol said before the game.
Jonathan Cannon took over in the third. The rookie allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings for the Sox, who are a season-high 42 games under .500 (27-69).
The Sox trailed 4-1 in the eighth but had runners on first and second with no outs against reliever Colin Holderman. Andrew Vaughn lined out to center and Luis Robert Jr. grounded into a double play, the team’s third. After collecting seven hits in the first four innings, the Sox had one hit in the final five.
“I thought at the beginning we were going to get to (Pirates starter) Marco (Gonzales), and we didn’t,” Grifol said. “He made some pitches when he had to and got some double plays when he needed to.”
Gonzales allowed one run on seven hits in five innings.
And Crochet got in the work he needed heading into the break.
“Good first half,” Crochet said. “Not going to pat myself on the back just yet, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”