Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy hit a rare lead-off inside-the-park home run against Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes during Saturday night's game at Coors Field in Denver.
McCarthy drove a 2-1 four-seam fastball from the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner into deep right-center field.
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Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum missed a diving catch attempt, allowing the ball to roll to the wall as McCarthy rounded the bases safely.
Historic Hit and Performance
The hit marked McCarthy's fifth home run of the 2026 season.
He later added a ground-ball double to center field in his second at-bat against Skenes, improving his career statistics against the pitcher to 5-for-8 with a double and a triple.
Major League Baseball averages only 10 to 20 inside-the-park home runs per season, according to the Society for American Baseball Research.
Skenes had previously held the Rockies roster to a collective . 130 batting average across 46 career at-bats.
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McCarthy was the only Colorado hitter with multiple hits against him prior to the matchup.
The performance marked McCarthy's third historically rare play against Pittsburgh within five weeks.
He recorded the first unassisted double play by a left fielder since 2013 against the Pirates earlier this season, a feat confirmed by the Elias Sports Bureau.
Skenes entered the game carrying a 2.85 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts across 82 innings this season.
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He previously dominated Colorado on May 12, throwing eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, which represents his most recent victory of the season.
