Pirates Keep Having the Same Paul Skenes Problem
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the best pitchers in baseball in Paul Skenes, but still have one big issue with his recent starts.
The issue is less Skenes himself, even with a recent slump, as the Pirates are again struggling to support Skenes when he makes starts.
Pittsburgh scored just two runs and left 11 men on base, while going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, falling 4-2 to the Miami Marlins in the series finale at PNC Park on June 14, Skenes' latest start.
Skenes gave up a pair of solo home runs in the sixth inning, while also tying his season-high of 10 strikeouts, but still took the loss.
It's a problem the Pirates have had prior and even worse in a season like this one, where they are competing for a spot in the playoffs.
Overview of Pirates Offensive Struggles with Skenes
The Pirates are one of the best hitting teams in baseball this season, which showed early on in the starts Skenes had.
Pittsburgh scored 56 runs in his first seven starts, eight runs per game, capped off with 16 runs in a win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park on April 13.
The Pirates still scored 41 runs in those other six starts, which is almost seven runs per game, easily enough to get Skenes some wins.
Pittsburgh has scored just 22 runs over his last eight starts, 2.75 runs per game, which also includes nine runs vs. the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on June 3.
It is just 13 runs over the other seven starts, less than two runs scored per game, far too low for someone even as good as Skenes.
"It's baseball. I've dealt with it before," Skenes said after his start vs. the Marlins. "It's a team sport. It's just the nature of the game. It's baseball."
Pirates Runs Scored in Paul Skenes' Starts
Runs Scored/(W/L) | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
16 (Win) | Washington Nationals (Home) | April 13 |
9 (No Decision) (Loss) | Houston Astros (Road) | June 3 |
8 (Win) | Cincinnati Reds (Road) | April 1 |
7 (Loss) | New York Mets (Road) | March 26 |
7 (Win) | San Diego Padres (Home) | April 7 |
7 (No Decision) (Loss) | Tampa Bay Rays (Home) | April 18 |
6 (Win) | Milwaukee Brewers (Road) | April 24 |
5 (Loss) | St. Louis Cardinals (Home) | April 30 |
3 (Win) | Colorado Rockies (Home) | May 12 |
3 (No Decision) (Loss) | Los Angeles Dodgers (Home) | June 9 |
2 (Loss) | Toronto Blue Jays (Road) | May 23 |
2 (Loss) | Chicago Cubs (Home) | May 28 |
2 (Loss) | Miami Marlins (Home) | June 14 |
1 (Win) | Arizona Diamondbacks (Road) | May 6 |
0 (Loss) | Philadelphia Phillies (Home) | May 17 |
The Pirates struggled massively last season scoring runs for Skenes, due to them having arguably the worst offense in baseball.
Skenes was 4-8 at the All-Star break, with the Pirates scoring four runs or less in his 16 of his first 20 starts. He eventually went 6-2 in his final 12 starts, but still scored just 3.75 runs per appearance, just slightly above the 2.95 runs they scored in his first 20 starts.
The Pirates doing even worse this season when Skenes starts is even worse, considering the offense the have.
Pirates Offensive' Woes With Skenes Surprising
The Pirates' offense still ranks in the top 10 and in the top five in most statistical categories, thanks to a few
Second baseman Brandon Lowe and right fielder/first baseman Ryan O'Hearn joined the Pirates this offseason, both of whom have had great seasons and are pushing for All-Star nods.
Pittsburgh also has had internal improvements from left fielder Bryan Reynolds, center fielder Oneil Cruz, third baseman Nick Gonzales and first baseman Spencer Horwitz, plus the rise of star rookie Konnor Griffin.
The Pirates are currently without Cruz and Griffin due to injury, which has seen them struggle at times without their power and base hits, especially vs. the Marlins.
Horwitz, Lowe and O'Hearn also combined to go 3-for-37 from the plate in the series, which the Pirates simply need better from going forward.
Outfielder Jake Mangum almost gave the Pirates the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning in a 2-1 game, but Marlins center fielder Jakob Marsee made an impressive diving catch to prevent a big time hit.
Pirates manager Don kelly said that the offense just hans't come through like they normally have in this recent stretch for Skenes, but that if Mangum did get that hit, it could've seriously changed things.
“I think when you’re looking at it, we just haven’t been able to put a complete game together," Kelly said. "Last year, it was maybe the run support. We’ve had starts throughout those six where we’ve scored runs. We’ve had starts that offense has been there and other things have happened. I don’t think we can point to one thing that’s consistent throughout all of his starts. We just need to continue to go out there..."
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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.