PHOENIX -- On the eve of his 23rd birthday, the Pirates gave Paul Skenes the thing no front-of-the-rotation starter should be without: gobs of run support.
After rallying back from a 6-0 deficit Tuesday to win, the bats stayed hot Wednesday afternoon, piling on again to beat the Diamondbacks and take the series at Chase Field, winning 10-1.
“Made it easy to pitch,” Skenes said with a smile. “It was fun."
May has had its challenges for Skenes and the Pirates. They made a managerial change. They’re still trying to dig themselves out of the early hole they put themselves in. And Skenes had trouble getting into the win column. He took just three losses in his Rookie of the Year campaign last season. Entering play Wednesday, he was 0-3 in May, though it’s hard to put too much onus on the right-hander when he had a 2.32 ERA in that stretch.
“I think the one thing we see is he doesn't change,” manager Don Kelly said. “He continues to do the same thing out there, whether he's not getting the support or like today, he did.”
Skenes’ outing was a mix of just about everything he does well. He struck out seven with no walks allowed over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. The four-seamer averaged 98.2 mph. With the exception of his curveball, which he threw only three times, he got multiple whiffs on each of the other six pitches he threw. It was a showcase of everything he can do on the mound as he moves from being an early season Cy Young favorite to a legitimate Cy Young contender.
And it was fully appreciated by those who made the trip to see him, as he exited to a standing ovation among the Pirate fans stationed behind the visitor’s dugout.
“He's only getting better,” Henry Davis, who had two hits in the win, said. “It's really great to be back there and feel like we can call anything at any time. He's always on the attack and it's great to see.”
However, the Pirates’ slow start to this season has resulted in some speculation around the league that Skenes could potentially be a trade chip this July. Let’s shut that down right here: it’s not happening. (To quote general manager Ben Cherington, “It’s not at all part of the conversation.”)
Outings like Wednesday are a reminder why he’s a person to build around. He’s 22 years old (for a few more hours, anyway) and has pitched to a 2.03 ERA in his career. Since the earned run became an official stat in 1913, the only pitcher with a lower ERA over at least 200 innings pitched was Dutch Leonard, who did so from 1913-1914.
“Paul Skenes, they don't come around ever,” Kelly said. “I think there's a few pitchers like that. When I was younger, I got to play with [Justin] Verlander and [Max] Scherzer, and that's what you see in Paul, that type of guy. If he can continue that, continue to develop, continue to grow. He's a pitcher, not a thrower. Just the way he works, everything. He's definitely a guy you want to build around."
Skenes has navigated questions about his future without saying too terribly much, other than he came to Pittsburgh to win. The Pirates haven’t done that as much as they’d like to in 2025, but they are playing visibly looser of late. It has resulted in some wins, taking two of the last three series, with a four-game split against the defending division champs in between.
Perhaps it can be a start.
"We have a good core,” Skenes said. “We have a good opportunity to do something in Pittsburgh. We saw it last year, for a good part of the year. Just gotta keep going."