Paul Skenes is making history look routine. For the third time in his last four starts, the Pittsburgh Pirates' young ace came tantalizingly close to perfection, leading his team to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park on Tuesday night.

From the first pitch, Skenes was in command, mowing down Rockies batters with a mix of electric fastballs and devastating breaking balls. His bid for a perfect game ended in the fifth inning when he hit Troy Johnston with a pitch with two outs. The no-hitter remained intact until the seventh, when Mickey Moniak lined a single into shallow left-center field.

Despite falling short of history, Skenes' dominance set the tone for the Pirates (23-19). The offense provided early support in the bottom of the first when Oneil Cruz doubled on the first pitch he saw and scored on a two-out single by Nick Gonzales through the right side of the infield.

Cruz stayed hot in the fifth, smashing another double off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen (2-5). Brandon Lowe followed with a base hit to right field, plating Cruz to make it 2-0.

The Pirates added an insurance run in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Bryan Reynolds reached on an infield single against reliever Victor Vodnik, pushing the lead to 3-0.

The Rockies (16-26) finally broke through in the ninth inning when Hunter Goodman doubled home a run with two outs against Gregory Soto, but it was too little, too late.

Skenes' latest near-miss adds to his growing legend as one of baseball's most electrifying young pitchers. For Pirates fans, it's a glimpse of a bright future—and a reminder that something special is brewing in Pittsburgh.