PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes has built a reputation for meticulous preparation in just his second season, but the Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher admits he never knows what kind of performance awaits until he takes the mound and faces that first batter.
Sometimes, like his recent outing in Milwaukee, everything clicks perfectly. Other days, like Thursday’s matchup with St. Louis, his typically dominant command appears surprisingly ordinary.
Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt connected on Skenes’ third pitch of the game, sending it over the right-field wall at PNC Park. Three hitters later, Jordan Walker launched a sweeper that failed to break properly into the left-field bleachers, propelling St. Louis toward a 10-5 triumph and completing their four-game sweep.
The defeat left Skenes (4-2) winless in five career starts against the Cardinals, though his 2.95 ERA against St. Louis tells a different story. Even after surrendering five runs (four earned) in his most challenging outing since a difficult season opener against the Mets in New York, those numbers reflect the incredibly high expectations surrounding the young star.
“Nobody expects more out of Paul Skenes than Paul does out of himself,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “I think when he has a game like today or the opener, we have to find a way to pick him, because he picks us up all the time.”
Facing an opportunity to halt Pittsburgh’s recent struggles, Skenes couldn’t find his usual dominance. He fell behind Wetherholt 2-0 before the Cardinals infielder attacked a 95 mph fastball — slower than Skenes’ typical 98-99 mph velocity — and drove it beyond the Roberto Clemente Wall in right field.
Ivan Herrera reached on an infield hit, setting up Walker’s blast on an 83 mph sweeper that caught too much of the strike zone. The ball cleared left fielder Jake Mangum’s glove, launching the Cardinals toward their first four-game sweep at PNC Park since 2019.
When asked about St. Louis’s relative success against him, the 23-year-old Skenes delivered his characteristic blend of dry humor and honest assessment.
“They score more runs than us,” he said.
Though Skenes found his rhythm later — recording a season-high nine strikeouts — the Cardinals made the most of their contact opportunities. They extended their lead in the third following Alec Burleson’s infield single and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin’s throwing error, which led to Nolan Gorman’s RBI hit. In the fifth inning, Burleson worked a changeup well outside the zone into left field, plating Wetherholt.
“I think that sometimes teams go up there, try to work his pitch count, try to get that up,” Kelly said. “It doesn’t seem to be the case. They’re going up there swinging and trying to get their swing off. … They put some good swings on the ball today.”
The loss dropped Pittsburgh to 16-16, far from last season’s disastrous start that led to former manager Derek Shelton’s dismissal, but still behind the pace in the competitive NL Central as first-place Cincinnati arrives for the weekend series.
“I mean, every team is going to have skids,” Skenes said. “Just got to get back to who we are and just play our game. Not try to do too much. Just think we’re trying to do too much a little bit, especially today. Just got to be us.”
Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe highlighted how accustomed the team has become to Skenes’ excellence when the familiar No. 30 takes the hill.
“It’s pretty difficult when you sit there and you’re saying, ‘Oh, he struggled’ and he gave up three (runs),” Lowe said.
Lowe, among several veterans brought in during the offseason to support Pittsburgh’s young core featuring Skenes and 20-year-old Griffin, isn’t worried about the recent rough stretch derailing what began as a promising campaign.
“When you’re in the training room, you’re in the tubs and stuff like that, showers, you just kind of have conversations and talking with these guys for a long time,” said Lowe, who launched his eighth homer of the year in the seventh inning. “They have a pretty good head on their shoulders and the way they look at things. … So it’s just one of those things, you kind of flush the bad ones and focus on the next one.”
