Opinion
Perrotto: Pirates Keep Wasting Paul Skenes’ Brilliance
PITTSBURGH – Paul Skenes has lived up to the massive hype surrounding his arrival in the major leagues on May 11. That is not open to dispute.
The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander is 6-1 with a 1.99 ERA in 14 starts. Even when he didn’t have his best stuff or command on Sunday, the 22-year-old took a shutout into the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the highest-scoring team in the National League, at PNC Park.
Skenes didn’t make it through the sixth as he gave up a pair of runs. Nevertheless, he handed a 4-2 lead to the bullpen.
As has happened too often in his young career, Skenes’ teammates failed him.
Colin Holderman gave up a three-run home run to Joc Pederson in the seventh and Jake Woodford surrendered Ketel Marte’s solo shot in the ninth. The Diamondbacks won 6-5.
The Pirates dropped to 9-5 in games started by Skenes, who has yet to allow more than three runs in a game. They should have a record of 14-0 in those games.
Seriously.
Skenes has given the Pirates an excellent chance to win every one of his starts. That is amazing for a pitcher who logged just 34 innings in the minor leagues and was the first overall pick in the amateur draft only a year ago.
To his credit, Skenes has not pointed any fingers at his teammates. He took the blame on Sunday.
“It was definitely better at the start, wasn’t executing pitches (later in the game),” Skenes said on his outing. “It’s really what it comes down to. Just didn’t feel great. It was one of those days.”
Most pitchers would love to have “one of those days” when they allowed just two runs in 5.1 innings.
However, this was the second time the bullpen failed Skenes. It also happened on May 23 when the Pirates hosted the San Francisco Giants.
Skenes pitched six innings and left with a 5-1 lead. Jose Hernandez gave up a run in the seventh, Hunter Stratton was tagged for five runs in the eighth and the Giants won 7-6.
The offense has let Skenes down in the other three games.
He allowed one run in seven innings on June 23 against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays but left with the game tied at 1. Holderman gave up two runs in the eighth and the Pirates lost 3-1.
Six days later against the Braves in Atlanta, Skenes surrendered one run in six innings but again exited with the score 1-1. The Braves walked off the Pirates 2-1 when Adam Duvall hit an RBI single off Kyle Nicolas in the bottom of the 10th.
Skenes was again brilliant in the only game where the loss went on his record. Manager Derek Shelton allowed Skenes to start the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in front of a roaring PNC Park crowd with the score knotted at 1-all.
Skenes had allowed just two hits through the eighth, but Michael Siani doubled to start the ninth, advanced to third on Masyn Wynn’s ground out and scored on Alec Burleson’s single. The Cardinals prevailed 2-1 and Skenes was pinned with the tough-luck loss.
To recap, the bullpen has blown two four-run leads for Skenes and the offense has generated only one run in the other three games the Pirates have lost with the rookie on the mound.
The Pirates are 56-55 and 3.5 games out of the third and final National League wild card spot. Imagine where they would be if Skenes could get some help.
