Pittsburgh Pirates Starting Pitcher Paul Skenes Struggles In Appearance Against Philadelphia Phillies

It has been an up-and-down 2026 season for Pittsburgh Pirates Starting Pitcher Paul Skenes. That was on full display this afternoon at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. He surrendered five earned runs over five innings of work in what was a rough outing.

This start came as a shock because Skenes entered today’s start with back-to-back eight-inning scoreless outings. The reigning Cy Young Award winner was cruising until the 5th inning rolled around. He gave up a pair of earned runs in the 5th inning and three more in the 6th inning. Will the ace be able to bounce back the next time he toes the slab?

Paul Skenes’ 2026 Season

The New York Mets roughed Skenes up in his first start of the year. He failed to get out of the 1st inning for the first time in his illustrious career. The ace rebounded with five consecutive starts where he surrendered either no runs or just one. After a slight hiccup against the St. Louis Cardinals, Skenes returned to his successful ways until today’s start tripped him up once more.

Will Skenes Rebound?

It would be incredibly foolish to bet against Skenes. He has accomplished everything he could in such a short time in Major League Baseball. He is still a great pitcher, but he has been more inconsistent than in years past.

He is scheduled to next take the mound on the road in Toronto on Saturday. He last faced Toronto on Aug. 18, 2025, and fared well. He tossed six innings and surrendered 2 earned runs. The hurler would love a repeat of that performance on Saturday.

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