Paul Skenes Is 0-3 in His Last Four Starts and Pittsburgh Has No Answer

Alright, fam, listen up. You gotta feel for the Pirates right now. Pittsburgh just got absolutely swept by the Braves after looking like they were finally hitting their stride, winning five of six. And now, their ace, Paul Skenes, is supposed to be the stopper against the mighty Dodgers tonight? Man, this kid has been in a rough patch himself, and honestly, the whole team looks like they're searching for answers right when they need them most.

Skenes Is Sliding and the Bullpen Is Bleeding Runs

Let's talk about Skenes for a sec. This dude started May looking like an absolute god, right? Back-to-back eight scoreless inning outings, giving up only two hits total. That's the stuff legends are made of. But since then? It's been a tough ride. Skenes hasn't gone more than 5 1/3 innings in his last four starts. He's sitting at 0-3 with a 5.85 ERA during this stretch. Yeah, he's still racking up the strikeouts, 26 of them with just six walks, but the results just aren't there. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington hinted it might be an adjustment from the World Baseball Classic, saying Skenes is "gonna figure that out" because he's so conscientious and has a good plan. We sure hope so, because the bullpen behind him is a full-blown crisis. These guys have lost six games this season after taking a lead into the seventh inning! SIX! They've got 14 blown saves overall, with Evan Sisk and closer Gregory Soto each contributing three. Soto does have a team-high eight completed saves, but that blown save number is brutal.

Dodgers' Bullpen Hiccup and Lauer's Big Chance

Now, compare that to the Dodgers. Usually, their bullpen is rock solid, even without injured closer Edwin Diaz. They're second in the National League with a 1.18 WHIP and third in batting average against at .215. Those are nasty numbers. BUT, and this is a big "but," they just had a nightmare Sunday. Starter Emmet Sheehan exited early, forcing manager Dave Roberts to deploy six relievers who got absolutely shelled for 11 runs, with six of those coming off Jonathan Hernandez. They ended up losing 13-5 to the Angels. Roberts is banking on Monday's off day to "reset" the bullpen, and you know what? With a 7 1/2-game lead in the NL West over the Diamondbacks, and winning 11 of their last 15, they probably can. Tonight they're trotting out lefty Eric Lauer, who they snagged from the Blue Jays on May 17. This is Lauer's third start for LA, and he's 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 10 2/3 innings so far. He's got a decent history against the Pirates too, 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 10 appearances. So, here we are. Paul Skenes, who's 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in his career against the Dodgers, including going 2-0 and giving up no runs in 12 1/3 innings last season, has to figure it out tonight. The Pirates need him to be that stopper, especially after their bullpen issues. Dodgers catcher Will Smith might even be back after missing two games with neck stiffness, while backup Dalton Rushing went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs on Sunday. Brandon Lowe delivered a pinch-hit double for the Pirates on Sunday, a day after fouling a pitch off his knee, which is good news for them. This three-game series kicks off tonight, and you know we'll be watching to see if Skenes can finally get off the mat. It's gonna be a battle, that's for sure.

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