9 year old impresses Skenes; Lindor hosts coffee-themed talk show; when Ozzie visited the ballpark [View all]

The past nine months have been a roller coaster ride of emotion for 9-year-old Riley Wheaton and his family, one that would test the resolve of any adult, let alone a child.

In October, Riley was flown by helicopter to Boston Children’s Hospital after suffering complete heart failure. Three months later, he was diagnosed with angiosarcoma -- a rare and aggressive form of cancer that is often terminal. But after six rounds of chemotherapy, Riley is in remission … and back on the diamond. He recently returned to the mound for his travel team and struck out 10 over four scoreless innings.

Just when it seemed Riley’s summer couldn’t get any better, thanks to Make-A-Wish he got to spend an afternoon with his favorite player, Pirates ace Paul Skenes, on Tuesday at PNC Park. He showed the family around the stadium and home clubhouse, introduced them to his teammates, and then Skenes -- who was also a catcher at Air Force before transferring to LSU -- caught a bullpen session from Wheaton that was tracked by the team’s advanced tech.

"He throws hard,” Skenes said. “Everything he's dealt with or not, he throws hard for a 9-year-old. I'm not kidding when I say by the end of it, my hand was a little sore."

Riley then shagged balls in the outfield before throwing the ceremonial first pitch to Skenes….

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