Since making his Major League debut last May, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has made 48 starts. He still hasn’t faced every MLB team yet, and he’s faced many of them only once or twice.
Skenes has dominated many of them so far, but one team seems to have his number,
For the second time this season, Skenes struggled against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. The National League Cy Young contender allowed four runs on six hits (including two home runs) and two walks in four innings as the Brewers rolled to a 14-0 blowout and their 11th straight win.
It was only the second time all season that Skenes allowed multiple homers. The rough outing pushed his ERA to 2.13 — his highest mark since the beginning of June (it still leads the Major Leagues).
Skenes also struggled in his previous outing against Milwaukee, getting outdueled by Jacob Misiorowski on June 25. The two-time All-Star lasted just four innings and gave up four runs in that start as well.
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In four career starts against the Brewers, Skenes has a 3.86 ERA, including a 5.79 ERA in three starts this year. That’s his worst ERA against any opponent he’s faced multiple times.
Against every other team, Skenes has a career 1.90 ERA, including a 1.75 ERA this season.
In Skenes’ defense, Milwaukee has been historically good this year. The Brewers have MLB’s best record at 75-44, are undefeated in August (11-0) and average the second-most runs per game (5.11) in baseball, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (5.17). They’re also more familiar with Skenes than other teams by virtue of playing in the NL Central, so they see him more frequently.
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It doesn’t help that Skenes has struggled in August after winning NL Pitcher of the Month for July, posting a 4.80 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in three starts this month. He’s already thrown 15 more innings than last season, so he may be wearing down a bit.
Pittsburgh has one more series against Milwaukee this year at PNC Park in early September, so Skenes will have to wait until then for a possible shot at redemption. In the meantime, he’ll look to rebound in his next outing, as he’s yet to endure back-to-back poor starts this season.
More Pirates: Pirates’ Paul Skenes Finds ‘Silver Lining’ After Struggling Vs. Red-Hot Brewers
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