Paul Skenes’ Historic Homer Barrage Overshadowed in Shocking Pirates Defeat to Cubs
If you’ve been keeping an eye on Major League Baseball this season — and honestly, who hasn’t? — you’ve probably noticed the Chicago Cubs’ bats are firing on all cylinders. They aren’t just good; they’re among the very best in the league, dominating categories like batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS, lighting up scoreboards far more often than not. It’s no wonder then, when the Pittsburgh Pirates’ young right-hander Paul Skenes took the mound against them on Thursday, he encountered one of the toughest tests early in his career.
Skenes held his ground for the initial stretch, weaving through four innings without surrendering any damage, despite the Cubs peppering him with hard contact, mixing in walks to keep the pressure on. But the fifth inning? Oh boy — that’s when everything shifted like a switch flipped. Cubs slugger Dansby Swanson jumped on a pitch that hung just a little too long, launching his sixth homer of the year right out of the park. And just when you thought that might settle the Cubs, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki followed up with back-to-back home runs that sent a clear message: this offense doesn’t quit.
Sure, the spotlight often falls on the power numbers, but what really stands out here is the disciplined approach the Cubs brought to the plate — watching pitches, drawing walks, not chasing out of the zone. Their patience forced Skenes to adjust, switch gears, and ultimately, challenge him beyond his comfort zone. Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s praise for his players’ ability to lay off tricky pitches hits home — this wasn’t just about brute strength but smart baseball.
As for Skenes, the night presented some tough lessons. He equaled his career high in walks and gave up a career-most three homers in a single game. Still, the raw talent is undeniable, and every pitcher faces nights like this when going toe-to-toe with an elite lineup. The Pirates ended up on the short end, dropping the game and slipping further in the standings, but for Skenes, this outing was a real test — one he’ll no doubt learn from as his career unfolds.
For fans and casual observers alike, this game was a snapshot of baseball’s thrilling blend of strategy and raw power — a matchup where offense and pitching duked it out until the very end. And honestly? That’s why we watch.
The Chicago Cubs have featured one of the best offenses in Major League Baseball during the first month of the 2025 season, among the league’s top two teams in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits and runs scored.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes likely won’t disagree with that after facing the Cubs’ formidable lineup on Thursday.
Advertisement
Skenes got through the first four innings without allowing any runs and only one base hit despite the Cubs hitting several balls hard off him and drawing four walks. That changed drastically in the fifth inning.
Dansby Swanson led off the frame with his sixth homer of the season, jumping on a splitter that hung high in the middle of the strike zone. Despite that, Cubs batting coach Dustin Kelly was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire about Skenes getting several strike calls on pitches off the plate.
Following Nicky Lopez grounding out and an Ian Happ strikeout, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki slugged back-to-back home runs, resulting in the most homers Skenes had given up in a game during his short career. Tucker launched a fastball out over the plate into the center-field seats, while Suzuki made Skenes pay for leaving another splitter up high in the middle of the strike zone.
Advertisement
Despite not scoring any runs early on, Cubs manager Craig Counsell was encouraged by the walks his batters drew.
“You’re not chasing, and [Skenes] has got to figure out something else to do,” Counsell said, via MLB.com. “He definitely went to off-speed [pitches] more today, and we did a really nice job of not swinging.
“You get the hard throwers, and you think you have to cheat to the fastball and we still laid off the off-speed,” he added. “It makes him come in the zone, makes him be a little less fine, maybe, and then you get something over the middle of the plate.”
Joey Wentz took over for Skenes in the sixth inning with the Pirates down, 3-2. Skenes threw 86 pitches, 49 for strikes, and only recorded two strikeouts, the lowest total of his career. He came into Thursday’s game with one home run allowed and four total walks for the season.
“Execution wasn’t there,” Skenes said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Kind of spraying the ball. Got away with it there for a while, and obviously it showed up a little bit in the fifth, but it is what it is. … I wasn’t super sharp today.”
The four walks — three of them to consecutive batters in the third — tied a career high, which Skenes reached twice last season (once also against the Cubs). And the home runs were the most he’d allowed in a start, surpassing the two Skenes gave up last June versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the fifth start of his MLB career.
With the loss, Skenes’ ERA increased to 2.73 with 41 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings and a 3-3 record. The Cubs improved their record to 19-13, while the Pirates dropped to 12-20.
Post Comment