Paul Skenes Finally Faces the One Team He's Never Beaten, and the Padres Are Ready to Make History

Three seasons into his major league career, Paul Skenes has pitched against basically every National League team. Except one. On Tuesday in Pittsburgh, that changes. The Pirates ace, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, will take the mound against the San Diego Padres for the first time ever, and the Padres are walking in hot.

Skenes is coming off a rough start to the season. He lasted just two-thirds of an inning on Opening Day against the Mets, giving up five runs on four hits and two walks. But he bounced back hard on Wednesday, throwing five strong innings in an 8-3 win over Cincinnati. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five. "Still a work in progress, but nice to give some volume and be out there for more than two-thirds of an inning," Skenes said, the World Baseball Classic still in the back of his mind.

Skenes Keeps It Real, Padres Keep Winning

When asked about the noise surrounding his career, Skenes made it clear where his head is at: "Just remembering what's real and what isn't real, I guess. Nothing matters except for the play. Nothing matters except for the game." He's insulated from the chatter, focused only on execution and his pitches. That mental clarity shows on the mound.

The Padres counter with Nick Pivetta, a 33-year-old Canadian who also had a brutal Opening Day against Detroit (six runs on seven hits over three innings) before rebounding spectacularly on Wednesday. Against the Giants, Pivetta threw five innings of shutout baseball, giving up just one hit while striking out eight. "That first game, that was not Pivetta," Padres catcher Freddy Fermin said. "He made adjustments and pitched in the right spots."

Pivetta is 2-1 with a 2.17 ERA in six career outings against the Pirates, so he knows this park. The Padres, meanwhile, are riding three straight wins. They shut out Pittsburgh 5-0 on Monday and left 10 runners on base in that series opener, meaning they could've been even more ruthless. Now they get Skenes for the first time.

Jackson Merrill Gets His Moment

Center fielder Jackson Merrill, the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up to Skenes, has been a spark plug for San Diego's surge. He's collected four hits, three runs, a home run, and three RBIs over the past two games. "Good arm, good challenge," Merrill said about facing Skenes on Tuesday. "The Rookie of the Year stuff, that doesn't matter anymore. But it's fun for the game of baseball."

First pitch Tuesday. Skenes versus Pivetta. One ace trying to shake off early season rust, the other looking to prove his Wednesday performance wasn't a fluke. The Padres want blood. This is the one.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.