PITTSBURGH -- Sometimes you must go back to move forward. Paul Skenes’ last win in 2026 came on May 12 against the Rockies. Since then, he’s gone six straight starts without a win. Skenes still sits at a 2.85 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP.
Skenes said he’s not necessarily feeling frustration from not earning victories, but instead is just looking to the next one. Luckily for Skenes and the Pirates, a chance at a bounce-back comes against the team he last captured a win against. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Skenes’ 16th start, set for Saturday at 9:10 p.m. ET at Coors Field.
Last time out
Skenes' previous start came against the red-hot Marlins. He was tagged for two solo home runs by Heriberto Hernández and then Joe Mack. Outside of the two bad pitches, Skenes struck out 10 and induced a career-high 23 whiffs.
Skenes retired nine in a row at one point from the end of the second inning to the beginning of the fifth. He exited after six innings and 104 pitches, picking up his sixth loss of the season after Pittsburgh put up just two runs of support.
Facing Colorado
Skenes posted a marvelous performance against Colorado on May 12, tossing eight scoreless innings while allowing just two hits. He reached 98 pitches by striking out 10 with no walks and likely had enough left in the tank to try to go for the complete game, but Gregory Soto was called on for the save.
Mickey Moniak ripped a single off Skenes and is now 2-for-9 lifetime off him. Troy Johnston hit a double and is 1-for-2. The Rockies have the sixth-most strikeouts in baseball entering Saturday's action, but the 11th-best OPS. Skenes' last start against Colorado was at PNC Park, so the Coors Field elevation could play a factor on Saturday.
Stat to know: .107 BA
Skenes has thrown his sweeper 214 times thus far in 2026. Opponents have recorded just three hits off it, building a .107 batting average against the pitch. Skenes throws his sweeper 15.8% of the time, making it his third-most-used pitch behind his four-seam fastball and changeup.