Pirates' Paul Skenes Looking to Kill Trend vs. Brewers
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PITTSBURGH — There aren't many teams that Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes has struggled against, but the Milwaukee Brewers might just be the one ball club that is his biggest challenge.
Skenes takes on the Brewers in the series opener at American Family Field on April 24, a place where he had great issues at in 2025.
He allowed eight earned runs in eight innings pitched over two starts against the Brewers last season, with four innings pitched and four earned runs allowed in each outing, in a 4-2 loss on June 25 and then a 14-0 defeat on Aug. 12.
Those two starts tied for the second most earned runs Skenes allowed in a start in 2025 and also in his major league career.
Skenes still won the National League Cy Young Award and finished with a 1.97 ERA, which would've been 1.65 if the starts vs. the Brewers weren't included.
Skenes Back in Cy Young Form In April
A terrible Opening Day start for Skenes saw him give up five earned runs and not make it out of the first inning vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26.
He has since turned it around in April, dominating opposing hitters and getting back to his Cy Young form from last season.
Skenes has three wins in four starts, a 1.27 ERA over 21.1 innings pitched, with just three earned runs allowed, 22 strikeouts to five walks, a .125 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 0.66 WHIP.
He is coming off a shortened start vs. the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park on April 18, where he threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and posting five strikeouts.
A rain delay ended his day, which also saw the Pirates release a bobblhead in honor of him winning the Cy Young Award last season.
The way Skenes is pitching should have him confident against the Brewers, who he actually had success against before his previous two starts.
He threw seven no-hit innings and posted 11 strikeouts against the Brewers in his first start against them on July 11, 2024 as a rookie at American Family Field, but the Pirates were unable to get the no-hitter in the 1-0 win.
Skenes then threw six innings of one-run ball against Milwaukee with eight strikeouts in his sole start against them at PNC Park on May 23, 2025.
The Pirates are in a tight race in the NL Central late in April and they'll need Skenes at his very best against their divisional foe.
Mitch Keller Filling Crucial Role on Pitching Staff
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a great starting rotation, but they need their veteran leader in right-hander Mitch Keller to put on good performances throughout the season.
Keller can easily throw into the sixth and seventh innings on a regular basis and did that again in his most recent start vs. the Rays on April 19.
He threw a season-high seven innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs, while posting five strikeouts in the 6-3 win to clinch the series for the Pirates.
The Pirates had just come off of an 8-7 defeat to the Rays, that last 13 innings and six hours and 40 minutes, which included a two-and-a-half hour rain delay, and Keller gave their bullpen a big break in that game.
Keller has pitched well so far for the Pirates, with a 2-1 record in five starts, a 2.79 ERA over 29.0 innings pitched, 19 strikeouts to nine walks, a .219 BAA and a 1.10 WHIP.
He also has four quality starts in five outings, where a pitcher throws at least six innings and gives up less than three runs, serving a vital role for a Pirates team that needs its starting pitching to take on a heavier work load at times.
Carmen Mlodzinski Looking to Bounce Back vs. Brewers
The Pirates put Carmen Mlodzinski back in the starting rotation this season, even after his struggles in 2025, and he has mostly showed that he is a good option for them so far.
He did have his worst performance in his most recent start, giving up five earned runs over 4.1 innings pitched in the 5-1 defeat to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 21.
Mlodzinski had thrown 11.1 innings scoreless prior to that start over his previous two outings, with 5.1 innings against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 10 and then six innings in relief after a spot start by left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park on April 15.
He's shown that he can be an efficient starting pitcher for the Pirates in 2026, but also has to continue his effectiveness later into outings.
It's also a great chance for Mlodzinski to have his first true bounce back outing, as he's been pretty solid, a 1.77 ERA, outside of that start vs. the Rangers.
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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.