The Pittsburgh Pirates’ season is absolutely slipping away, and their reigning NL Cy Young winner, Paul Skenes, is looking far from his sensational self. After losing their sixth game in seven outings on Tuesday night to the Miami Marlins, 2-0, the team is now 58-63 and cemented in the NL Central cellar. This squad is in a tough spot, six games back from the third wild-card spot with six other teams to leapfrog, and their postseason odds have plummeted to a brutal 4.6%.
The Pirate Ship Is Taking On Water
It’s rough out there for the Pirates, who have now dropped 14 of their last 19 games. You just hate to see a promising season unravel like this, especially when the manager is talking about finding a way to learn how to play with pressure. Don Kelly kept it real after Tuesday’s loss, telling MLB.com, “It’s tough. Everybody is going through it. We need to keep grinding and find a way. It’s frustrating for everybody. When you’re going out there and battling for something, there is different pressure. We need to find a way to be able to learn how to play with that, because that’s the expectation.” That’s a classic quote from a manager whose team is facing a wall.
What’s Happening With Paul Skenes’ Heat?
Tuesday night brought another “ordinary” start for Paul Skenes. He held the Marlins to two runs (just one earned) through five innings and punched out four hitters. But here’s the kicker: Kelly pulled Skenes after only 65 pitches in five frames. Both Kelly and Skenes were quick to say it wasn’t an injury, calling it a strategic move. Kelly stated, “Anybody this time of year is not injured, but guys in August aren’t 100%. It wasn’t injury-related that he came out. Just thought it gave us the best chance to win there.” Skenes added, “He walked me through everything and it all made sense. I wish I could have gone more, but you know, it kind of is what it is.”
The real worry? Skenes’ fastball velocity was down again, averaging a career-low 95.9 mph on Tuesday and topping out at 96.6 mph. This is the reigning NL Cy Young winner we’re talking about, a guy who routinely threw at least four pitches over 97.0 mph in his previous 79 career starts. This isn’t a new trend, either; his velocity has been sliding for weeks. The Pirates are now 3-13 in Skenes’ last 16 starts, where he’s posted a 5.00 ERA. While the underlying numbers like his 3.29 FIP look better, that 5.00 ERA is tough to ignore. The “holding back to locate” explanation from earlier in the season is getting harder to buy when you see that kind of velo drop.
So, what does this mean for the Pirates? They’re clearly in a battle for their season, and if their ace isn’t bringing the heat like he used to, that fight just got a whole lot tougher. Can they really “grind” their way out of this with Skenes looking merely ordinary? The clock is ticking, and Pittsburgh fans are watching closely.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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