Paul Skenes is back in a groove, and the timing could hardly be better for the Pirates.
After a nine-start winless stretch that ran from mid-May into early July, Pittsburgh’s ace has looked like himself again. He’s won three straight starts, posted a 2.45 ERA over that span, and now gets another divisional test with the Cubs before facing Cincinnati next. This will be Skenes’ 22nd start of 2026.
His most recent outing was the sharpest of the season. Skenes worked seven innings in Cleveland, allowed just one run and picked up the win while throwing exactly 100 pitches.
With a full week of rest, he looked fresher, and the Pirates got something they hadn’t seen from a starter in a while: a seven-inning performance. It was the first time a Pittsburgh starter had gone at least seven since Braxton Ashcraft did it on May 21.
“Got some early outs, that helps,” Skenes said postgame. “Not a ton of long at-bats.
It's just that's pretty much what it adds up to. If you can get early outs and avoid the nine- or 10-pitch at-bats, it's a pretty good equation [to] get outs when you need to.
It's a pretty good equation for going deep into games.”
Chicago has already seen Skenes once this season, and it was a strong individual outing that still ended in a Pirates loss. On May 28, the eve of his 24th birthday, he struck out 10 and gave up one earned run, but Pittsburgh fell 7-2.
Against the Cubs overall, Skenes has a 2.77 ERA in eight career starts. He’s also piled up 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings in those games. Ian Happ is 5-for-15 against him, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is 4-for-15.
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