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▲ Libby Dunn, a former LSU gymnast and influencer, also known in baseball circles as Paul Skenes’ girlfriend. 
▲ Paul Skenes (left) and Libby Dunn. ⓒ Paul Skenes Instagram
[SPOTV News reporter Shin Won-chul] “Let’s go, Paul!”…
Libby Dunn — the girlfriend of National League Cy Young winner and U.S. national-team ace Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and a social-media star with far more followers than Skenes — drew attention for a blunt reaction during Tuesday’s game. After Skenes worked a favorable count on the leadoff hitter but still surrendered a home run, Dunn was heard swearing — twice.
Skenes took the mound for the Pirates on May 24 at Rogers Centre in Toronto against the Blue Jays. He was charged with the loss after five innings, giving up nine hits (one home run), one walk and two strikeouts while allowing four earned runs. The defeat dropped him to 6–4 on the season and raised his ERA from 2.62 to 3.00.
The homer came in the first inning, despite Skenes having worked a 0–2 count against leadoff hitter George Springer.
He opened with a 97.7-mph four-seam fastball on the first pitch, then a 96.6-mph four-seam on the second, generating two consecutive swings and misses.
Before the third pitch he shook off the catcher’s sign several times, then nodded. That pitch was another four-seam, delivered at nearly the same plane as the second but catching the heart of the plate; Springer didn’t miss it. The ball came off the bat at 106.8 mph and traveled 396 feet.
The broadcast captured Dunn’s reaction. She shouted “Let’s go, Paul!” just before the third pitch, and when it turned into a long hit she visibly showed her frustration and swore.
Skenes then retired batters without allowing another run through the fifth inning, leaving him with one earned run over five innings. In the sixth, Pittsburgh briefly tied the game and Skenes temporarily escaped the loss. But the bottom of the sixth unraveled: he yielded consecutive hits to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Yohendrick Pynango, then gave up a run-scoring double to Jesús Sánchez.
After surrendering an RBI single to Ernie Clement, Skenes was pulled from the game. Reliever Johan Ramírez induced a double play from Andrés Jiménez, but Sánchez scored from third, increasing Skenes’ total runs allowed to four.
Sportsnet’s broadcast noted that Skenes was on the bump and that he was accompanied by his girlfriend, and perhaps the bigger name, Libby Dunn. The announcers pointed out Dunn’s background as an LSU gymnast and that the two met in college.
Dunn is a major influencer with more than 5.24 million followers on Instagram and roughly 13 million followers across platforms. Skenes — last year’s Cy Young winner and a U.S. national-team pitcher — has just under 830,000 Instagram followers.
▲ Libby Dunn, a former U.S. collegiate gymnast and an influencer with a combined 13 million followers. She’s well known as Skenes’ girlfriend. On Instagram alone, Skenes has roughly 830,000 followers while Dunn has about 5.24 million — roughly a fivefold difference.
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