Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ leading pitcher, is set to pursue back-to-back pitching wins for the first time this season when he faces Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen on Sunday afternoon in the final game of their three-game series in Pittsburgh. With Skenes targeting another victory, the Pirates look to build momentum against a Diamondbacks team facing considerable challenges.
Recent Performances Highlight Skenes’ Form and Pirates’ Resilience
The Pirates lost a narrow 1-0 game in 11 innings on Friday but quickly recovered with a 2-0 shutout win on Saturday, marking their fourth victory in five games. Skenes, who ended a win drought on May 28, showed signs of returning to peak form by securing a 3-0 win over the Detroit Tigers in his latest outing. In that game, he pitched six scoreless innings, striking out six while allowing just three hits.
His May 28 start also came against the Diamondbacks and Gallen, where he delivered seven strikeouts across 6 2/3 innings of no-hit baseball, leading the Pirates to a 10-1 win in Phoenix. Meanwhile, Gallen struggled, allowing five earned runs and three walks. Skenes’ ability to dominate Arizona hitters has been a key factor for the Pirates this season.
Skenes’ Dominance Evident in Season Statistics
This season, Skenes stands out as the only qualifying starter in Major League Baseball with an earned run average under 2.00, currently at 1.91. Over 21 starts, he has compiled 137 strikeouts and allowed just six home runs in 127 innings, averaging 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings. His recent sequence also includes three of his last four starts featuring at least five innings pitched without surrendering a run.
Managing Skenes’ workload remains a priority for the Pirates, as his innings are carefully monitored. His recent outing against Detroit marked the first time he had pitched more than five innings since June 19.
“I think that was about as good as it could have been,”
Skenes said.
“Eighty-six pitches and six innings is a pretty good starting point. I mean, we’re still going to monitor innings, all that. Not all of that’s up to me, but we’ll have a good plan going forward.”
—Paul Skenes, Pirates pitcher
Challenges Facing Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen
While Skenes has been dominant, Zac Gallen’s performance this year has been among his worst. The right-hander, who was an All-Star two years ago, holds a 7-11 record with a 5.58 ERA this season, both career lows. He has also allowed a Major League-leading 23 home runs among qualifying starters.
Gallen’s recent starts have been especially tough; his last two appearances included six runs allowed each, and a total of three home runs surrendered. In his previous start against the Houston Astros, he gave up six runs over seven innings, including two home runs.
Against Pittsburgh, Gallen holds a 3-3 record in six career starts with a 4.15 ERA. Despite his struggles, he remains a key part of Arizona’s rotation as the club tries to stay competitive.
“It feels like every time I make a mistake, it turns into a home run, which is unfortunate,”
Gallen said.
“It’s hard to keep runs off the board when balls are leaving the ballpark. I don’t know what the fix is there.”
—Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks pitcher
Team Dynamics and Future Outlook for Arizona
The Diamondbacks, amid their playoff pursuit, are considering trading Gallen and fellow right-hander Merrill Kelly as they adjust their roster. Yet Gallen remains focused on the team’s potential and improving performance.
“I think just from a team standpoint, we’re trying to answer the bell and play a little bit better and give the front office and ownership a reason to add,”
he said.
“We feel like we still have good talent in this room.”
—Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks pitcher
Significance of Sunday’s Matchup
The final game of this series serves as a critical test for Paul Skenes as he chases a significant pitching milestone while reaffirming his role as a Cy Young contender. With Pittsburgh coming off strong recent performances and Skenes demonstrating sustained dominance, the Pirates aim to capitalize on Arizona’s pitching difficulties. This game could further highlight Skenes’ emergence as one of Major League Baseball’s top starting pitchers and impact the trajectory of both teams’ seasons going forward.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Has anyone found the Paul Skenes card?
A. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — An 11-year-old from California, who collects cards, discovered a unique Paul Skenes baseball card. The Pirates offered 30 years of home plate season tickets for it.
Q. How many times has Paul Skenes thrown over 100?
A. He has thrown pitches reaching 100 mph on 98 occasions. As of May 8, no other Triple-A player has done it over 37 times. In Major League Baseball, only Mason Miller of the A’s is close, with 97 pitches hitting 100 mph or more.
Q. Did anyone find Paul Skenes’ patch card?
A. The excitement around Skenes led collectors to eagerly search for his unique rookie card. An 11-year-old Dodgers fan in Los Angeles discovered it on Christmas morning. The Pirates had promised a reward to whoever found the Skenes card.
Q. How much money is the Paul Skenes card?
A. On Thursday, trading card company Topps revealed that a card discovered by a California boy in January sold for $1.1 million. The card features a patch from the No. 30 jersey worn during Skenes’ rookie debut, along with his autograph.