PHILADELPHIA — It looks like the All-Star break might arrive at a good time for Paul Skenes. The Pirates, who’ve now dropped each of Skenes’ last nine starts, must hope a little time off does the trick.
Whatever the case, Skenes did not have a good night Wednesday during the Pirates’ 10-6 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, allowing a career-high eight runs (seven earned) in just four innings.
The average velocity on his four-seamer was down 0.7 mph, sitting at 96.3 for the game, while Skenes struggled with his command and execution. Skenes allowed two home runs, walked two, hit one and needed 81 pitches to get through four innings.
Over his past nine starts, Skenes’ ERA sits at 5.36.
“Just didn’t execute very well. That’s pretty much what it comes down to,” Skenes said. “Just fell behind in some counts and left some balls over the plate.”
Skenes has certainly been a victim of poor defense — and there were a few plays that should’ve been made in this one. It was also uncomfortably hot in Philadelphia, with a 96-degree temperature at first pitch.
But that’s no excuse. Skenes did not look like himself.
Outside of the first inning, where Jake Mangum made an excellent catch for the third out, the Phillies generated plenty of contact against Skenes. He also saw his velocity dip as low as 93-94 mph at times.
After starting the season with five quality starts in his first nine outings, Skenes has just three in his last nine.
The Pirates trailed, 8-2, when Skenes exited the game. But they did battle back to make things interesting.
They scored twice in the fifth, and Jared Triolo roped a two-run double to left on middle-middle sinker in the seventh inning, bringing the Pirates to within 8-6.
Over his past dozen games, Triolo is now hitting .297 with an .852 OPS.
The frustrating outing for Skenes started with a messy second where eight Phillies hitters stepped to the plate. With one out and the bases loaded, center fielder Justin Crawford hit a ball to Nick Gonzales at third base.
Gonzales looked to throw home, but Henry Davis didn’t give Gonzales much of a target either inside or outside the line. The throw hit third baseman Alec Bohm in the back, kicked off Bohm again and allowed a second run to score.
“I thought I made the right decision going [home],” Gonzales said. “We’re infield in, get the guy out at home on anything slow we’re not going to turn a couple play on. Just threw it and hit him in the arm.
The next hitter, shortstop Trea Turner, extended the Phillies’ lead to 5-0 with a three-homer to left field on an 0-1 sweeper inside.
Pittsburgh answered with a pair of runs in third. Henry Davis hit his sixth home run on an elevated fastball. Bryan Reynolds knocked in the other run with his line-drive single to left on a sinker up and away.
But the next inning, the Phillies got one of those back when left fielder Brandon Marsh opened the third inning with a solo home run, taking a slider over the middle of the plate out to right.
“Fastball command wasn’t like it typically is,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “Breaking ball wasn’t maybe as sharp.”
Skenes experienced more trouble in the fourth, when Philadelphia scored two more runs to take an 8-2 lead.
First baseman Bryce Harper stroked a two-run double on a 2-0 splitter located low and away. Tyler Callihan had a chance to potentially catch — and certainly stop — the ball. But it went under his glove to allow the runs to score easily.
Though Phillies starter Zack Wheeler struck out 10, he was unable to complete five innings due to the Pirates rallying for two more runs in the fifth.
Esmerlyn Valdez, Ryan O’Hearn and Nick Gonzales had three consecutive singles, the last one a soft liner to shallow center to make it 8-3. Reliever Kyle Backhus hit Triolo with the bases loaded to give the Pirates their fourth run of the game.
The Triolo double gave the Pirates some brief hope. However, the combination of Bohm's two-run homer in the ninth off Dennis Santana and Phillies closer Jhoan Duran kept any of those thoughts at bay.
That the Pirates lost a game against the Phillies, yeah, it’s frustrating. But the bigger question has clearly become Skenes. How can he get right?
“I’m not sure,” Skenes said. “We’ll figure out what it is and just keep attacking it.”
Added Gonzales: “He’s Paul. He’s the best pitcher, Cy Young last year. We’re confident whatever ups or downs he has, he’s gonna pursue through. He’s gonna be Paul Skenes.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.