Paul Skenes has beaten just about everyone in baseball. Except, it seems, the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace is known for his almost maniacal preparation—a routine that's already the stuff of legend, even just two years into his career. He pores over scouting reports, fine-tunes his mechanics, and visualizes every pitch. But as he'll tell you, no amount of pregame work can guarantee what kind of stuff he'll have once the leadoff hitter steps into the box.
Last week in Milwaukee, it was nearly perfect. On Thursday afternoon at PNC Park, however, it was anything but.
From the very first pitch, something felt off. Skenes' third offering of the game landed in the right-field seats, courtesy of Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt, who turned on a 95 mph fastball—a tick below Skenes' usual 98-99 mph range—and sent it soaring over the Roberto Clemente Wall. Three batters later, Jordan Walker jumped on a sweeper that didn't sweep, depositing it into the first row of bleachers in left field. Just like that, St. Louis had the early momentum on their way to a 10-5 victory and a four-game sweep.
The loss dropped Skenes to 4-2 on the season, but more notably, to 0-5 in his career against the Cardinals. That number, however, is a bit misleading. His ERA against St. Louis sits at a sparkling 2.95, even after allowing five runs (four earned) in what was his first rocky outing since a bumpy Opening Day in New York against the Mets.
That ERA tells the real story: the impossibly high standard Skenes has set for himself during his rapid rise from first overall draft pick to arguably the best pitcher in the game. When "ordinary" for him means a 2.95 ERA against a division rival, you know you're watching something special.
"Nobody expects more out of Paul Skenes than Paul does out of himself," Pirates manager Don Kelly said. "I think when he has a game like today or the opener, we have to find a way to pick him up, because he picks us up all the time."
Given a chance to halt Pittsburgh's first rough patch of the season, Skenes simply didn't have his best. He fell behind Wetherholt 2-0 before the fastball that lacked its usual zip. Ivan Herrera followed with an infield single, and the Cardinals never looked back.
For fans watching at home—or in the stands at PNC Park—it was a rare reminder that even the game's brightest stars have off days. But for the Pirates and their faithful, it's also a reminder that Skenes is still just two years into a career that promises many more dominant outings to come.