Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes receives standing ovation from rival Cardinals fans as Olivia Dunne’s boyfriend continues impressive start to MLB career
MLB rookie Paul Skenes received a standing ovation from rival Cardinals fans during the Pirates’ 2-1 victory over St. Louis.
The star pitcher allowed five hits and struck out eight in 6 1/3 scoreless innings, receiving a standing ovation Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.
Skenes, who is dating LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, threw 103 throws, the most in his first six starts of his career, which began when he was called up to the majors last month.
The No. 1 draft pick, one of baseball’s greatest pitchers, has become an instant sensation for long-suffering Pirates fans.
Last week, he impressively withstood the pressure of facing the Los Angeles Dodgers’ $700 million man, Shohei Ohtani.
Paul Skenes received a standing ovation from rival Cardinals fans Tuesday night
Yet he showed no fear against the star, who signed a 10-year, $700 million dollar deal with the Dodgers this offseason, shutting him out with three straight speeds over 100 miles per hour.
Dunne’s friend ended up throwing seven more strikes in five innings as the Pirates defeated the Dodgers at home, 10-6.
“His stuff… that first at-bat… was really good,” Ohtani said of Skenes. “I couldn’t put good swings together, but overall just really good stuff.”
The LSU alum’s girlfriend has been a regular at Pirates games and even admitted that she gets more nervous in front of her husband than she does at her own events.
He allowed five hits and struck out eight in 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the Pirates
His girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, has been a regular at his games over the past month
The two started dating while studying together at LSU, and made their romance public in 2023
“I get more nervous watching Paul because it’s just different when you’re not doing it and you’re not in control,” Dunne said in a video posted by Bleacher Report on Tuesday.
“But I have confidence in his abilities and I can kind of turn those nerves into excitement for him,” she continued.
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model laughed when asked if Skenes also gets more nervous around her than he does before his own competitions.
‘I honestly don’t know anyone who thinks like him. “I really don’t know what he would say,” she replied.
The young couple began dating while attending LSU in Baton Rouge, and made their romance public in 2023.