Skenes eyes bounce-back start against D-backs on Wednesday

Paul Skenes eyes a bounce-back outing when he takes the mound against the D-backs in Arizona on Wednesday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET.

The Pirates’ ace allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits -- including a pair of first-inning home runs -- and took the loss last Thursday against the Cardinals. Though Skenes recorded a season-high nine strikeouts in the 10-5 defeat, he noted after the game that he didn’t have the best command of his stuff, especially early on.

Skenes is 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA through seven starts. In many ways, though, the defending NL Cy Young Award winner has pitched even better than his overall line indicates.

Among pitchers to throw at least 30 innings, Skenes ranks in the top 10 in batting average against (.182) and strikeout-minus-walk rate (24.1%). Of that same group, only Shohei Ohtani has a lower Statcast expected ERA (2.24), which takes into account the amount of contact and the quality of that contact. Skenes is still inducing the sort of pitcher-friendly contact that he always has.

Skenes rounded into form following a frustrating Opening Day start, pitching to a 0.95 ERA while allowing just three runs in 28 1/3 innings across his next five starts. That stretch included Pittsburgh’s third-longest perfect game bid in the Expansion Era (since 1961), when he was perfect through 6 2/3 innings against the Brewers.

Skenes is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in three career starts against the D-backs, notching 20 strikeouts in 18 innings. Nolan Arenado (5-for-14) and Corbin Carroll (3-for-9) are the Arizona hitters with the best career numbers against the right-hander.

Pittsburgh -- which has the makings of a legitimate contender in a tough NL Central -- is 4-3 in Skenes' seven starts this season, heading into the middle game of the three-game set with the D-backs.