Paul Skenes Gave Up a Career-Worst 7 Earned Runs. The Phillies Made Him Look Human.

The Philadelphia Phillies did something Wednesday night that nobody in baseball has done to Paul Skenes since he became a Pirate. They made him look ordinary.

Skenes came into Citizens Bank Park with a 3.10 ERA and the kind of reputation that usually makes hitters press. Instead, the Phillies stayed patient, jumped on his mistakes, and chased him after just four innings. The final line was ugly: 7 earned runs, 8 total runs allowed. Both are career worsts for the 2025 NL Cy Young winner.

Talkin’ Baseball posted the stat on X and it spread fast. Seven earned runs. That’s not a typo. For a guy who usually limits damage like he’s got a personal vendetta against runs scoring, it was strange to watch.

Here’s the thing that makes this worse for Skenes and the Pirates. This wasn’t the first time Philadelphia has tagged him. Back on May 17, the Phillies hung five earned runs on him. So right now, the Phillies own both of his worst regular-season starts. That’s a flex, especially against a guy who won Cy Young and finished with a 1.96 ERA last season.

Pittsburgh’s losing streak follows Skenes

The Pirates have now lost eight straight games started by Skenes. Eight. That’s not all on him, obviously. But when your ace takes the mound and you can’t buy a win, something is broken. Wednesday was supposed to be the night they stopped the slide. Instead, Skenes got knocked around early and the offense never caught up.

Philadelphia’s approach at the plate was the real story. They didn’t chase. They made him work. And when Skenes left a pitch over the plate, they didn’t miss it. That patience, that discipline — it’s the same thing the Phillies showed in last year’s playoff run. They don’t get intimidated by big names.

The Phillies lineup has been hot, and this was another example of what happens when they stay within themselves. They didn’t try to do too much. They just put the ball in play and let Skenes beat himself.

For Pittsburgh, the bigger concern is whether Skenes can bounce back. He’s too talented to stay down long, but the Phillies have now proven twice that they can get to him. And in the NL East race, that’s meaningful. The Phillies aren’t just beating bad teams. They’re breaking the best pitchers in the league.