Skenes Stumbles: Pirates Ace Faces Tough July

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has experienced a challenging period in his recent starts, culminating in his worst performance of his MLB career. In his latest outing on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds, Skenes surrendered 5 runs for the second consecutive game. Despite his team providing an early lead, Skenes struggled with control, issuing walks and giving up key hits, including two home runs.

Over four innings pitched on Friday, Skenes allowed 7 hits and 4 walks, while striking out 7 batters. This performance closely followed his previous start, where he also gave up 5 runs against the Chicago Cubs. His July was marked by inconsistency, with an overall ERA of 6.25 across six starts, including a career-worst outing against the Philadelphia Phillies earlier in the month. While he had some starts with fewer than 3 runs allowed, this recent stretch has been particularly difficult for the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner.