Family Day: Local Kid Paul Skenes Outduels Yamamoto, Shuts Down Ohtani In Pirates' 3-0 Win In La

Paul Skenes and his parents got a suite at Dodger Stadium on Friday night and handed out tickets for about 35 aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

"I was playing for free tonight," he joked.

Seemed like everybody Skenes knows from back home wanted to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates' 22-year-old ace from nearby Orange County when he took the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers and their own top pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Between Yamamoto's brilliance, the powerhouse lineup sent out by the defending World Series champions and the pressure of wanting to perform for his family and friends, this showdown might have been one of the most challenging nights of Skenes' incredible young career.

He responded with poise and tenacity - and six pitches that seem to get better every month.