Pittsburgh Pirates sensational rookie Paul Skenes will get his first chance to pitch near his home stadium on Saturday when he faces the host Los Angeles Dodgers.

The closest Skenes came this season to nearby Orange County, where he grew up, was on July 29 in Houston, when he allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings. On Sunday, Skenes (6-1, 1.99 ERA) allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In 12 of the first 14 starts of his career, he allowed two or fewer runs.

One of the two appearances in which he allowed three runs came at home against the Dodgers on June 5, when he threw five innings. The six hits he allowed that day were a season-high. Although Skenes allowed home runs to Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages of the Dodgers in that game, he still finished the night with a win, the third of his career.

Skenes, the National League starter in last month’s All-Star Game, has 107 strikeouts in 86 innings.

Typically a master of his ball control, Skenes has allowed a season-high three walks in each of his last two starts, and on Sunday he threw 100 pitches in his briefest appearance since June 5.

“It’s the first time we’ve seen him scatter the ball a little bit,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said.

The Dodgers will counter with their own rookie River Ryan (1-0, 1.72). The right-hander has far less experience than Skenes and has only made three starts since his debut on July 22.

In his last appearance on Sunday in Oakland, Ryan allowed two runs on five hits and had four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings, walking three batters in all three of his starts.

Ryan, who will face Pittsburgh for the first time, would appreciate the kind of run support the Dodgers provided in a 9-5 win over the Pirates on Friday. Freddie Freeman, Ohtani and Enrique Hernandez hit home runs. Ohtani’s 448-footer increased his home run total to 35, which is the National League lead.

But even though the Dodgers have won four of their last six games, they’re having a tough time keeping two stubborn division rivals at bay. The San Diego Padres, who have won six straight, are 2 1/2 games back, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are 15-5 since the All-Star break, are 3 1/2 games behind. Los Angeles was 8 1/2 games ahead on July 23.

“We’re very conscious of it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I’d be lying if I said nobody looks at the scoreboard and appreciates how well the other teams in our division are playing. It just puts the responsibility on us to play good baseball.”

Freeman has scored in all four games he has played since missing eight contests to be by the side of his three-year-old son, who was recovering from a health scare.

“I didn’t know how I was going to feel after a 10-day break from live pitching, but I actually felt pretty good at bat,” Freeman said on SportsNet LA. “It’s just nice to hit the ball hard.”

Not only did Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty record 10 strikeouts in his home debut with his new club on Friday, the entire team also recorded 16 strikeouts that evening.

The Dodgers won the series opener after the Pirates won two of three games between the teams in Pittsburgh in early June.

–Field level media