Paul Skenes' Worst Start Brings More Worry for Pirates
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PHILADELPHIA — Paul Skenes just had the worst outing of his MLB career and it comes as a big problem for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026.
Skenes gave up eight runs and seven earned runs, both career-highs, in the Pirates' 10-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 2. It also included two home runs, six hits, two walks and a hit batter.
It continues Skenes' struggles over the past nine starts, as he's posted a 5.36 ERA, with 28 earned runs over 47 innings.
The Pirates need their ace pitching at his best in 2026 and this recent start keeps them concerned as to when they'll get him back at that level.
Where it Went Wrong vs. the Phillies
Skenes almost gave up a two-run home run to Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh in the first inning, if not for Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum making a great catch at the wall.
He then struggled in the second inning, throwing 35 pitches and eight Phillies batters, almost their entire lineup.
Skenes began the inning by hitting third baseman Alec Bohm with a pitch and then allowing a single to second baseman Bryson Stott.
He managed to get catcher J.T. Realmuto to strike out after 10 pitches, but then walked right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. on seven pitches, loading the bases.
Skenes then got a ground ball from center fielder Justin Crawford, but Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales threw it off Bohm, who was headed home, which saw the ball bounce away and two runs score on a play that could've ended the inning with a double play.
It then also led to Skenes allowing a three-run home run to shortstop Trea Turner, on a sweeper that went on the inside, a hot spot for Turner, giving the Phillies a 5-2 lead.
“Fell behind in a few counts and some foul balls," Skenes said on the second inning. "Yeah just got to execute a few pitches a little bit better and I think it’s probably a different story.”
Skenes gave up his second home run of the game, as Marsh didn't make a mistake on a slider that caught too much of the plate and sent it into the right field seats to put the Phillies up 6-2 to leadoff the third inning.
His fourth inning was also a struggle giving up singles to Rincones and Turner and then a double to first baseman Bryce Harper, as Pirates left fielder Tyler Callihan just missed getting the final out of the inning, making it an 8-2 affair.
Skenes exited the game after 81 pitches, the fourth-least in a start this season, and didn't make it past the fourth inning for the the third time in 2026.
Why Skenes' Slump is a Big Problem for the Pirates
Skenes won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2024 and then the National League Cy Young Award in 2025, posting a sub-2.00 ERA over both of those years.
He's currently at a 3.62 ERA through 18 starts and has a 6-8 record, not necessarily the worst ERA, but a massive jump for someone like Skenes, who has been the best pitcher in baseball at times in his career.
The biggest issue for the Pirates is that this team could legitimately make the postseason, as their 43-44 record through 87 games has them just three games back of an NL Wild Card spot.
Skenes should serve as the main anchor of a great starting rotation, along with the likes of veteran Mitch Keller, Jared Jones back from injury, the emerging Braxton Ashcraft and rookie Bubba Chandler, that could serve as one of the better ones in baseball and excel in the postseason.
He's instead in the worst slump of his MLB career, which ironically started with him giving up five runs over five innings in a 6-0 loss to the Phillies at PNC Park on May 17.
Skenes has allowed four runs or more in four of his last nine starts and given up at least two runs in eight of those starts, with the Pirates losing all of those games, also in part due to lack of offensive support.
“I’m not sure, but we’ll turn them over," Skenes said on his recent struggles. "We’ll figure out what it is and keep attacking it.”
The advanced metrics have been kind to Skenes, despite the recent outings, with the second-lowest expected ERA (2.63), and his defense surely hasn't helped him with the Gonzales and Callihan mistakes today and throughout as well, with the sixth-lowest FIP (3.02).
Pirates manager Don Kelly always has confidence in Skenes and his ability to bounce back, even with his slump, and trusts the people around Skenes to figure it out.
“He’s always looking at what he’s doing, trying to adjust it and tweak it," Kelly said. "It’s something that him [pitching coach Bill Murphy] and the pitching group are constantly looking at.”
Skenes did have a great start to 2026, with a 1.98 ERA through his first eight starts and a 1.08 ERA over his eight starts following his Opening Day start vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field, giving up five runs in the first inning
Much like Kelly, Gonzales has faith that Skenes will turn it around and he'll come back even better after this slump.
“It’s Paul. He’s the best pitcher," Gonzales said. "Cy Young last year and we’re confident that whatever ups or downs he has, he’s going to pursue through it and he’s going to be Paul Skenes.”
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.