Paul Skenes is walking into one of those starts that says a lot more than the box score ever will.
The Pirates’ ace has spent the last several weeks under a brighter spotlight than usual, and not for the right reasons. Since his dominant outing on May 12 against the Colorado Rockies, Skenes has put up a 5.36 ERA across his last 47 innings, given up seven home runs in that stretch, and failed to get through six innings in six of his last nine starts. For a pitcher who arrived with the reputation of being nearly untouchable, that kind of run has turned into a real conversation.
The questions have piled up fast. Is it the defense behind him?
Bad luck on balls in play? Command?
Lower velocity? Mechanics?
An injury? The source of the dip isn’t being pinned to one clean answer, and that’s exactly why this homestand matters so much.
Skenes doesn’t need to fix every issue in one night. What he does need is a reminder - for everyone watching, and maybe for himself - of what the finished version looks like.
That chance comes at a difficult moment for Pittsburgh. The Pirates just got the news that Konnor Griffin is likely headed for a lengthy absence with a torn tendon in his left ring finger, a blow that undercuts some of the momentum the club had been building. Now the burden shifts even more heavily onto Skenes, with two starts coming against the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.
The first one is tonight against Atlanta.
Pittsburgh needs him to be the stopper again, the pitcher who can take control of a game and change the feel of a series. It also needs him to quiet the noise that has started to build around him. With the Pirates in the middle of the National League wild card race, this is the kind of stretch that can reset the conversation if Skenes looks like himself.
Even if the velocity has dipped, even if the command has come and gone, even if hitters have started to make better adjustments, the door is still open for Skenes to answer back. The Pirates have lost nine straight team games in his starts, and they cannot afford to make it 10.
In Other News...
Pirates Just Got Another Reason To Love The Brandon Lowe Trade
The three-team deal that sent Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery to Pittsburgh already looked like a useful summer move, and the Pirates have only gotten more out of it as the season has gone on. Lowe has been the headliner, giving the lineup the kind of middle-order thump it badly needed, while Mangum has settled in as a steady depth option and Montgomery has added another arm to the bullpen mix.
There is also a little extra satisfaction in seeing the other side of that trade continue to tilt Pittsburghs way. Houstons decision to send Mike Burrows back to Triple-A Sugar Land after his struggles only sharpens the contrast, because the Pirates have gotten immediate production and roster flexibility from their end of the swap. For a club trying to squeeze value out of every move, this is the kind of transaction that can age very well. [Read more 🡒]
Former Pirates Bust Just Got Another Surprising Shot
Bryan De La Cruzs time in Pittsburgh never got off the ground after the Pirates brought him over from Miami in 2024, and the fit unraveled fast enough that the club moved on after only half a season. He has spent most of the time since then trying to rebuild his stock in Triple-A, with a brief stop in Atlanta along the way, while the Pirates side of the deal has long since become a reminder that sometimes a change of scenery is not enough.
Now De La Cruz has landed another major-league opportunity, this time with Philadelphia, which is giving him a fresh look after adding him to the 40-man roster and sending him to Lehigh Valley. For a player whose Pittsburgh stint ended in a non-tender, it is a notable second chance, and one that says as much about how quickly outfield depth can shift as it does about how much a once-promising bat can still intrigue a contender. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Respond To Konnor Griffin Blow With A Familiar Frustration
Konnor Griffins injury has forced the Pirates into another quick roster shuffle, and this one comes with a familiar name returning to the organization. Jack Brannigan was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to help cover the infield, while the club also added Joshua Palacios on a minor league deal and sent him to Indianapolis, giving Pittsburgh another experienced option to keep close at hand.
Palacios is no stranger to the Pirates, having spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons in the organization before moving on. He brings both major league and Triple-A experience, and his track record at the highest level has been uneven compared with what he has shown in the minors, which is why this kind of depth move can matter for a club that has already had to adjust its plans once. [Read more 🡒]