It's strength vs. strength with Skenes set to battle Dodgers
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While the 2026 All-Star Game doesn’t roll around until July 14, fans at PNC Park on Tuesday will be treated to an All-Star-caliber matchup when reigning Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes takes on the star-studded, two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers to open a three-game series.
Skenes enters the matchup with a 2.83 ERA, and he hasn’t recorded a win since May 12 against the Rockies. Here’s everything to know ahead of Skenes’ 14th start of 2026.
Last time out:
Skenes was unable to complete five innings for just the third time this season. Facing the Astros, he allowed three runs on six hits before being pulled with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. A bullpen implosion from Pittsburgh led to an 11-9 victory for Houston.
In the start, Skenes reached a career-high 109 pitches but only tallied 62% strikes.
Facing LA:
While Skenes grew up in Southern California, he actually was a fan of the Angels rather than the Dodgers. In four starts against the Dodgers, he’s posted a 3-1 record with a 2.70 ERA and 12.9 K/9.
The most intriguing matchup of the series will be the first, when Skenes delivers the first pitch to Los Angeles’ leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani. The two have squared off 11 times, with Ohtani striking out six times but hitting one home run back in their first meeting on June 5, 2024. Mookie Betts is 0-for-9 off Skenes, while Freddie Freeman has two hits in 12 at-bats.
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Stat to know: xERA 2.30
Skenes' 2.83 ERA is excellent but almost a run higher than his ERA from either of his first two seasons (1.96 in 2024, 1.97 in 2025). Despite the slight increase, Skenes’ expected ERA per Baseball Savant is 2.30, which is lower than his xERA from the previous two seasons (2.50 in 2024, 2.65 in 2025). Skenes' walk percentage is at a career low 4.7%, and his expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) is at a career-low .241.
Skenes’ expected statistics show his performance remains in line with his elite first two campaigns, and the 24-year-old shows few signs of slowing down his dominant pace.