PHILADELPHIA -- The noise can’t be quieted at this point. The Pirates hadn't claimed a victory with generational ace Paul Skenes on the mound in eight starts entering Wednesday, last winning on May 12.
“There's a lot being made about it, and it is tough,” Pirates Manager Don Kelly said a day before Skenes’ start. “Every time Paul goes out there, we want to win.”
The noise will remain after Skenes’ latest start in a 10-6 loss for Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. Skenes allowed seven earned runs (eight total) on six hits on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, exiting after 81 pitches in four innings. Phillies starter Zack Wheeler matched with 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs. The seven earned runs were the most in Skenes’ MLB career, and he now has a 5.36 ERA in his last nine starts.
“[The Phillies] are a good lineup,” Skenes said postgame. “I haven't made it easy on myself, but I just gotta execute a little better.”
Skenes put the Pirates in an 8-2 hole when he exited. Pittsburgh climbed back to make the game 8-6, but the deficit was too grand to overcome. Skenes was touched up, and the fastball is a serious issue. His average velocity on the four-seam was 96.3 mph, tied for the lowest of his career.
Skenes faced the Phillies, but also scorching temperatures up to 97 degrees at first pitch. When asked if Skenes was fatigued, Kelly said he wasn’t sure, not knowing if the heat and a 35-pitch second inning played a factor.
Skenes also didn’t have an explanation for the fastball velocity dip. His fastball topped out at 101.9 mph just two years ago as a rookie. Fast-forward two years and the four-seam ranged from 93.6 mph to 97.9 on Wednesday.
“I don't know. It happens,” Skenes said.
Entering the contest, MLB home run leader Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-9 with five strikeouts against Skenes. Bryce Harper was 2-for-6 with two strikeouts and Brandon Marsh was 2-for-7. Skenes got the best of Schwarber again with a nasty slider, but Philadelphia threatened with a walk to Harper and a deep fly ball to center from Brandon Marsh. Jake Mangum leaped against the wall to make the catch to end the frame.
Skenes’ nine-game winless streak is tied for the second-longest streak by a reigning Cy Young award winner, per Elias Sports Bureau. He’s just one away from tying Blake Snell and Jim Perry for the record.
A hit-by-pitch and a walk with a single in between loaded the bases in the second as Skenes’ pitch count eclipsed 40. Two runs scored on an infield error and then Trea Turner broke the game open with a three-run homer.
With Skenes’ pitch count over 50 in the third, he allowed another homer to Marsh. The Phillies continued to add on, plating two more in the fourth inning with three more hits. Skenes exited after just four innings, unable to reach the fifth frame for the third time this year.
“I'm not really sure exactly what it is,” Phillies manager Don Mattingly said of beating Skenes twice. “Obviously, his stuff is good. Pretty much every time, he's going to have good stuff, but we just kind of kept going. Our club’s not really afraid of anybody. So it doesn’t matter who the guy is.”
Wednesday was the sixth time in 2026 that the Pirates have scored four or more runs in a Skenes outing. They achieved the feat 10 times in 2024 and nine times in 2025.
While Skenes is known for his rigorous routine between starts, he appeared uncharacteristically worn down, even missing a 3-2 pitch to eight-hole hitter Gabriel Rincones Jr. by a wide margin. Kelly said Skenes is always looking at what he’s doing in between starts, looking for tweaks and adjusting.
A nine-game winless streak with your top gun on the mound surely isn’t the formula for success. Though veteran Brandon Lowe sees losing with Skenes as just as frustrating as losing any other start.
“He's our ace, and when he's on the mound, you expect him to be what he's been the last couple years,” Lowe said. “You know he's up there, he's grinding, he's throwing his best bullets, and what he's got. It's the same thing with every guy that tows the rubber.”
A late offensive uprising from Pittsburgh made things interesting, but it was Skenes’ mistakes that led to another loss.
“We'll figure out what it is, and just keep attacking it,” Skenes said.