Perhaps it’s just the early-season blahs, or maybe the Chicago Cubs’ significant familiarity with Paul Skenes. Whatever the reason, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year just posted the least dominant and arguably worst start of his career.
Skenes gave up a career-high three home runs, all in the fifth inning, tied a career worst with four walks and struck out a career-low two batters Thursday at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, a startling turn for a right-hander who six days ago struck out eight in beating the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Skenes, 22, threw just 49 strikes among his 86 pitches, a lack of command and dominance somewhat reflected in his advanced metrics. While Skenes’ fastball averaged 97.5 mph, a tad down from his 98 mph season average, the spin rate was down 1% and down much more significantly on his secondary offerings.
His splitter suffered a 13.6% drop in spin rate and his slider was down 2%.
Skenes previously walked four in a pair of starts last season, against the Cubs and Seattle Mariners, though he managed to complete six innings in the latter affair. And the man who came into his 30th start averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine notched just two punchouts. His previous low was three strikeouts May 23 against San Francisco and in a last-day two-inning cameo to close the 2024 season.
Skenes gave up solo homers to Dansby Swanson, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki in the fifth, the latter coming back-to-back, in his fifth start against Chicago in less than a calendar year. It was the first time in his seven starts this year he failed to pitch into the sixth inning.
It was the first time both in Skenes’ professional and college career – he pitched at LSU and Air Force – that he gave up three home runs in a game.
The homers erased a 2-0 Pirates lead and the Cubs went on to win 8-3.
‘Good pieces of hitting,’ Skenes told reporters in Pittsburgh after the outing. ‘I probably missed my spot, but good for them.
‘Just execution wasn’t there. Kinda spraying the ball. Got away with it for a little while, obviously showed up a little bit in the fifth, but it is what it is.’
Skenes came into the game leading the National League in WHIP (0.80) and the majors in fielding independent pitching (1.75), having yielded just one home run in 37 2/3 innings coming in.
Thursday’s outing raised his ERA from 2.39 to 2.74.
‘Just execution wasn’t there,’ says Skenes. ‘Kinda spraying the ball. Got away with it for a little while, obviously showed up a little bit in the fifth, but it is what it is.’