Pirates’ Paul Skenes Has Strong Start Against Cubs

Pittsburgh Pirates star starting pitcher Paul Skenes recorded a quality start against the Chicago Cubs, as he went seven innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, a walk, and four strikeouts on 82 pitches.

"It's very rare that you look up in a game that we play on offense and the pitcher can get to the seventh inning," Pirates manager Don Kelly said. "That's one thing we've been great at -- just not letting guys get deep into games."

Skenes has had a rocky year in 2026, as he's posted a 3.78 ERA, 185 strikeouts, 46 walks, and a 1.13 WHIP. 

The 24-year-old hasn't lived up to the standard he played at in his first two seasons in the league.

In his rookie season in 2024, Skenes had an incredible campaign, recording a 1.96 ERA with 170 strikeouts, 32 walks, and a 0.947 WHIP. 

Skenes elevated his game in 2025, as he held a 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts, 42 walks, and a 0.948 WHIP. He took home the Cy Young Award and finished sixth in MVP voting.

He is one of the best pitchers in baseball despite his up-and-down year in 2026. Skenes looked like an ace for one of the few times he has all season and was in line for the win, but Gregory Soto struggled in relief.

"[It's] been a little bit of a battle this year for that, so it's great to cover my innings," Skenes said. "You talk about having two starters down ... I think we've done a really good job of covering the innings that we need to. So really just trying to keep the line moving on that."

The Pirates were close to making it to the playoffs in 2026, but it will be tough to make up the ground for a Wild Card spot as they are 6.5 games out of the final place.

Although Skenes hasn't been at his best, he's had some strong starts, including on Saturday over Chicago, but he will need to be consistent the rest of the season and in 2027 to reestablish himself as a Cy Young candidate and help Pittsburgh get into the postseason.