What happened: Paul Skenes allowed three hits without a walk, striking out four on 87 pitches. He threw 55 strikes and generated 13 whiffs.
Why it matters: The outing followed a July in which Skenes posted a 6.25 ERA across six starts. His previous turn lasted 4 1/3 innings with three earned runs and four walks.
By the numbers: Through 27 starts, Skenes has a 3.79 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 175-to-41 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 145 innings.
What to watch: The next test is whether the improved command carries into Tuesday's scheduled start.