Pirates Blowout Loss to Dodgers Highlights Need for More Support Around Paul Skenes

A collection of baseball-related quotations are displayed on the walls above the few unassigned lockers that are dispersed around the home clubhouse of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the place where a player’s nameplate would normally go, these phrases are displayed.

Some of them are tremendously motivating.

“I want to be remembered as a ballplayer who gave all he had to give.” This is Roberto Clemente.

“In order to achieve success, one must be willing to take risks,” is a phrase that is extremely cliche. Theresa Stargell, Willie

A filthy acronym that dates back to the history of the Pirates. In addition, there are a few well-intentioned word salads from the manager, Don Kelly, who says things like, “We have to do this together.” Everyone, including the fans, the city, and the team, plays a part.

It is not a coincidence, however, that the phrase that is located exactly next to the locker that belongs to the best pitcher in the league, Paul Skenes, reads, “Momentum is only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher.” This is Jim Leyland.

Skenes had a good game on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the reigning champions, but he was not particularly impressive. Seven of his pitches resulted in strikeouts, and he allowed only two runs before leaving the game after the sixth inning with the score tied 2-2. It is noteworthy that Skenes retired Shohei Ohtani in each of the three matches between the two all-world superstars, including a punchout that was particularly stunning in the third match.

The Pirates were unable to capitalize on their momentum on Tuesday, despite the fact that the starting pitcher for the day had a strong performance.

After Skenes left the game, Pittsburgh went on to give up ten runs in a seventh inning that was a complete and utter disaster, which resulted in the crowd booing, jeering, and cheering in the Bronx.A little but brutal reminder that the distance between the powerhouse Dodgers and the rising Pirates remains enormous was provided by the fact that Los Angeles finally prevailed by a score of 12-3. “We got sloppy there,” Kelly acknowledged after the game. “We just need to play cleaner.”

At the beginning of this season, Pittsburgh had legitimate hopes of making the playoffs for the first time in what seemed like an eon. The offensive of the team, which was undermanned, received a much-needed lift from an offseason that was unusually aggressive.Meanwhile, the extremely promising Konnor Griffin waited in the wings. It was anticipated that the pitching staff, which was led by Skenes and consisting of a multitude of underappreciated arms, would be among the greatest in all of baseball. For the entirety of the game, projection systems indicated that Pittsburgh was a serious challenger. After a decade of autumnal misery, the month of October baseball appeared to be a fantasy that could be realized.

This optimistic outlook has only been partially realized up to this point in the year 2026.

Despite having a record of 34-33, the Pirates are currently eight games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, who are currently in first place in the National League Central. A significant number of Pittsburgh’s roster acquisitions have proven to be successful in the early going, providing the club with one of the most productive offenses in the sport thus far. Despite the fact that it is not exactly elite, the rotation has been extremely good. Among the reasons for this is the fact that the Pirates are regarded as a very bad defensive club. Having a bullpen that is below average has also not been helpful.

It is undeniable that these Pirates have improved, and they are no longer a punch line. They have a run differential of plus-21, which is an irrefutable indication of their quality. Despite this, this squad is still stuck in neutral, which is rather irritating because they have not yet completely capitalized on a group that is highly good.

Skenes, on the other hand, has a stat line that is marginally below than the criteria he has set for himself. The 24-year-old pitcher is now carrying a still-impressive 2.84 earned run average (ERA), which he achieved during his 2025 Cy Young campaign by achieving a 1.97 ERA. Skenes’ 2026 is not in any way concerning, with the exception of the fact that it is a little bit more prone to home runs. He has, for the most part, been unlucky, the victim of some poor batted-ball sequencing throughout his career.

Following the conclusion of his most recent performance, he confirmed that, on the whole, he has been pleased with his performances. However, as demonstrated on Tuesday, Skenes is not capable of carrying the Pirates by himself when he is not performing at his peak level. This is especially true when facing a team that is as strong as the one that Los Angeles possesses.

“The changeup command wasn’t quite as good as it’s been,” the right-handed pitcher, who is known for his self-criticism, said to reporters after the game.

When asked about his team’s recent troubles against the best in the National League, the towering pitcher refrained from drawing any wider conclusions from the situation. “It might be a little bit independent of who we’ve been playing,” he confessed. Prior to their loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday, Pittsburgh had dropped three consecutive games in Atlanta to the Braves, who were leading the league after the series.

Despite his stoicism, calculating, directness, and dominance, Skenes continues to be one of the most interesting characters in the game. In the year 2024, he made his debut on the scene as a rookie, pushed by a triple-digit heater and a girlfriend who was a social media sensation. His performance in 2025 was just as outstanding, if not better, and he cemented the flamethrower’s position as one of the faces of baseball despite having a personality that is humorously quiet. Skenes made an unplanned visit at a local Little League just last week. He explained his decision by saying, “I was driving down the road, and I saw a baseball field, and I was bored.”

In a word, that is Skenes; even his stories that are meant to make you feel good exude an air of intensity that is centered on baseball. This, in addition to the skill he displays on the field, is Skenes’ absolute superpower. His concentration, his dedication to competing, and his disposition away from the field are all extremely infectious aspects of his character. “He’s one of the tougher makeup competitor guys that I’ve been around,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Tuesday’s game. Roberts is a man who has seen a few baseball games, yet he gushed over Skenes’ strong competition.

When it comes to everything that pertains to pirates, that kind of intensity raises the bar and the floor. As a result of this, things are looking up in Pittsburgh, despite the fact that they suffered a humbling setback in a game that should have been a game that energized them for the future.

In any case, they are not looking down at the ground. That is a step in the right direction for this franchise that has been going through a lot of trouble.