The Philadelphia Phillies have officially become Paul Skenes’s personal nightmare. For the second time this season, they knocked around the Pirates’ young ace like he was some September call-up, not the guy with the triple-digit fastball and the 100-mph swagger. Wednesday night it was a 10-6 win for Philly, and Skenes took the worst beating of his career.
Seven earned runs. Four innings pitched. A season-high in damage and a lot of head-scratching afterward.
“I didn’t execute very well,” Skenes told ESPN. “That’s really what it comes down to. I fell behind on some counts and left some balls over the plate.”
He’s not wrong. But it’s also not that simple. The Phillies have a way of getting into a pitcher’s head and then staying there. In the second inning alone, Skenes threw 35 pitches. By the time Trea Turner crushed a home run off him, the game already felt out of reach for Pittsburgh.
What’s Going On With Skenes?
Look, the guy is still really good. But his ERA has climbed to 3.62 after this start, and that number doesn’t tell the whole story. He looks human. Hittable even. And that’s weird for someone who came up looking like he’d never give up a run again.
The Pirates are now 43-44, which is exactly the kind of mediocrity that feels worse when your ace gets shelled. They started the season with real promise, but things are slipping. Skenes slipping with them isn’t helping.
Turner gave the Phillies perspective after the game. “I think we’ve got a good team,” he said. “Sometimes there’s no explanation, but I feel like we’ve got a good lineup and we battle. We know he’s really good, and he’s always going to give us a fight, and you kind of tip your cap when he gets you and move on and try to have the next guy pick you up.”
True. But right now the Phillies aren’t tipping much. They’re just teeing off.
Meanwhile in Philly: Things Are Cooking
The Phillies are rolling. After Don Mattingly took over for Rob Thomson as manager, something clicked. They’re 49-38, sitting second in the NL East, and they’ve won seven of their last ten. That’s a team that smells October.
Trea Turner is hot. The lineup is deep. And they clearly have Skenes’s number in a way few teams do.
These two play again Thursday. Pittsburgh needs a win. Skenes needs to figure some things out. But right now, the Phillies look like the team that’s figured everything out.
Leave a Comment