The Chicago Cubs drew six bases-loaded walks in the fifth inning against the Pirates on Saturday, the most by a major league team in a single inning in 65 years.

The last team to draw that many free passes with runners at every base in one inning was the Chicago White Sox, who had eight in the seventh inning on April 22, 1959.

Paul Skenes' stuff was as electric as advertised.

A fastball that reached at least 100 mph 17 times. A slider that left major leaguers shaking their heads. An invention called a "splinker" that is a hybrid of a splitter and a sinker and dips and dives unlike any pitch anywhere in baseball.

Yet even at age 21, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie knows all the "oohs" and "ahs" and knee buckles a ball that at times seems to explode out of his right hand can produce won't matter if he can't control it.

So while there were some positive takeaways from his major league debut Saturday -- seven strikeouts over four-plus innings and much, much later a 10-9 victory over the Chicago Cubs -- the top overall pick in last year's draft understands there is more work to be done.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to promote top prospect Paul Skenes to make his debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.

Skenes, 21, has allowed three earned runs in 27 1/3 innings with 45 strikeouts in Triple-A.

The Pirates drafted Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023.