Skenes Poised for a Stunning Showdown Against Cubs—Can They Deliver the Unexpected?
The Pirates are not one of the best teams, but the goal really never should’ve been them being an elite team this year. For the Pirates, the goal should be about trying to get better and find a way to build a consistent team. Winning is never easy in any professional sport, but when you refuse to sign great players to big deals, or seemingly cry poor despite being in a billion-dollar business, you won’t get much sympathy. Still, if this team can maybe end the year around the .500 mark, perhaps that gives some incentive to open up the wallet or find ways to get pieces for the big league club that are of value. Ultimately, they can’t let the guy that is on the mound today leave because they never put a winner or try to put a winner around him. Paul Skenes is a generational talent and if the Pirates want to have any shot at keeping him long term, they need to make winning a priority. He does plenty of it himself and has a 3-2 record with a 2.39 ERA. What is most impressive is his 0.80 WHIP, good for third in baseball. His ERA, although low, is higher than you’d expect with that WHIP because he throws hard so hard contact is made, if the batter can make contact. He’s only allowed one homer this season, and has allowed one or fewer earned runs in three of his six starts. Cubs hitters have struck out 18 times in 43 at-bats against Skenes.Â
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