Paul Skenes Finally Meets the One Team He's Never Faced, and the Padres Are Ready to Strike

Here's something wild: Paul Skenes has faced basically every National League team in his career, except one. Until Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, the San Diego Padres were the only NL opponent the Pirates ace hadn't squared off against. That changes when Skenes takes the mound against Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta in the second game of a three-game set, and honestly, the timing couldn't be worse for Pittsburgh.

Skenes is trying to shake off a rough start to the season. His Opening Day against the Mets was a disaster, just two-thirds of an inning where he gave 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, struck out five, and needed 77 pitches to get through it. Not dominant, but exactly what Pittsburgh needed to see from their Cy Young-winning ace after the World Baseball Classic concerns surfaced.

Skenes Is Locked In On What Matters

"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 after the Reds outing. The guy clearly knows he's been battle-tested early. He's also refusing to let outside noise get in his head. "Just remembering what's real and what isn't real, I guess," he said. "Nothing matters except for the play. Nothing matters except for the game." That's the kind of mentality you want from your ace three weeks into the season when things aren't clicking yet.

The Padres Are Playing Lights Out Right Now

Here's the problem for Skenes: San Diego is absolutely rolling. The Padres just won three straight, including a 5-0 shutout of Pittsburgh on Monday that should have been even worse. They left 10 runners on base in that game. Now Pivetta is coming off his own bounce-back start, shutting out the Giants on five hits with eight strikeouts over five innings. After getting shelled by Detroit on Opening Day (six runs, three innings), Pivetta has clearly made adjustments. "That first game, that was not Pivetta," Padres catcher Freddy Fermin said. "(Against the Giants), he made adjustments and pitched in the right spots."

Skenes will also finally get to face Jackson Merrill, the Padres center fielder who was the runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year in 2024, the same award Skenes won. Merrill has been on fire lately, collecting four hits, three runs, a homer, and three RBIs in the past two games. He's not fazed by the matchup. "Good arm, good challenge," Merrill said. "The Rookie of the Year stuff, that doesn't matter anymore. But it's fun for the game of baseball."

Tuesday night, Skenes finally ends the mystery of never facing San Diego. The Padres offense is waiting, and they're hungry.

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