Pirates ace Paul Skenes had a tough game against the Phillies on Wednesday, allowing seven runs on six hits, with two strikeouts and two walks over four innings. Skenes registered his eighth loss of the season. There was something unusual about his performance last night, which many fans highlighted on social media, expressing surprise at his struggles.
Many fans noted that Skenes’ pitching velocity has decreased significantly compared with his NL Cy Young Award-winning 2025 season. Others also noted that his pitch placement was off, and the 24-year-old Fullerton native lacked command and authority from the mound.
Skenes is now 6-8 for the season, with a 3.62 ERA, 119 strikeouts, and a 1.01 WHIP. Given current trends, it looks highly likely that Skenes would be considered in the race for the NL Cy Young Award this year.
Paul Skenes Reflected on His Disappointing Outing Against the Phillies
After the game, Skenes addressed the media for a post-game interview, where he reflected on the loss and said he had to improve his command and pitch placement moving forward.
“Yeah, I just fell behind on some counts and left some balls over the plate. I haven’t made anything of myself, but yeah, just got to execute a little better. I mean, I fell behind on a few counts and some foul balls. Yeah, just got to execute a few pitches a little bit better,” Skenes said.
Skenes will make his next start in the series opener against the Braves at PNC Park on Tuesday.
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