Heading into his next start on Tuesday, Paul Skenes will be hard-pressed to top what he did the last time he stepped on the mound. But then again, he’s Paul Skenes, and you should never say never with the Pirates’ young superstar.
Tune in when Skenes (5-2, 2.36 ERA) faces the Rockies at 6:40 p.m. ET at PNC Park. The reigning NL Cy Young winner was 1-0 in a pair of starts against Colorado last year, allowing four earned runs in 12 innings of work and striking and 15. Tuesday, Skenes will work opposite Rockies veteran Michael Lorenzen (2-4, 6.92 ERA).
Skenes was nearly flawless his last time out, taking a perfect game into the fifth inning of a 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks. He allowed two singles in that frame, but those were the lone base runners against Skenes in his eight innings of work. Skenes struck out seven Arizona hitters in total.
“It is never easy pitching in the big leagues, but when you get ahead [in the count], it’s a lot easier to pitch,” Skenes said. “When you don’t, that’s when they can do damage. So just have to keep getting ahead.”
Skenes’ nightmarish start on Opening Day against the Mets now, unsurprisingly, feels like a distant memory. Since failing to get out of the first inning that day, Skenes has allowed one or fewer runs in six of his seven starts. He also has a miniscule 0.71 WHIP with opponents hitting just .156 against him.
The Pirates return home Tuesday against the Rockies after wrapping up a nine-game road trip against the Reds, Diamondbacks and Giants, compiling a 6-3 record. And what better way to get back to Pittsburgh than with Skenes on the bump?