Paul Skenes suddenly looks human again as Pirates’ problems keep growing
It was a second straight struggle for the Cy Young.
Paul Skenes suddenly looks human again as Pirates’ problems keep growing originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . For the second straight start, Paul Skenes looked far more vulnerable than baseball fans have become accustomed to seeing.
And that is suddenly becoming a real concern for the Pittsburgh Pirates . After spending most of the 2026 season looking nearly untouchable, Skenes struggled again Saturday afternoon in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Pirates ace allowed nine hits and four earned runs across five innings while striking out only two batters in one of the roughest outings of his young career.
Knockout stuff not there That low strikeout total especially stood out. Coming into Saturday, Skenes had piled up 63 strikeouts in just 55 innings and entered the game with MLB’s best WHIP at 0. 71.
He had routinely overpowered lineups with triple-digit velocity and devastating swing-and-miss stuff. MORE : Cardinals may have accidentally created the perfect baseball atmosphere Toronto did not look overmatched at all. The Blue Jays jumped on Skenes immediately when George Springer launched a leadoff home run in the first inning.