Huge opportunity for Skenes with big Pirates homestand

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Coming off the worst start of his professional career, this week sets up as a great opportunity for Paul Skenes to put the recent struggles behind him and lift his team into the second half of the season.

On May 12, Skenes went a magnificent eight shutout innings allowing only two hits and striking out 10. His ERA at the time was 1.98 and WHIP, 0.64. Through that point of the season he had walked eight through nine starts. He had back-to-back eight-inning starts. Since, the 24-year-old has only completed six innings twice and allowed 68 base-runners over 47 innings. He gave up seven earned runs in four innings in his last start.

Push all of that aside with a pair of vintage Skenes outings, as the Bucs host a pair of first-place teams before heading to the All-Star Break.

The Atlanta Braves open the homestand Tuesday night with Skenes on the mound and then the NL Central leading Brewers close it with Skenes starting the final game.

We’ve already seen it against Milwaukee this season. April 24, Skenes led the rarest of wins in Wisconsin. It was the first game of a weekend series and Skenes gave up one hit and no walks over seven scoreless propelling the Bucs to a series win.

Named a National League All-Star on Saturday, Skenes talks about winning as the most important thing. He wants to be part of a culture change in Pittsburgh. He doesn’t want the best highlight for Pirates fans of recent generations to only be a Wild Card win.

Here is a chance to lead in that regard. The Pirates are only a game over .500 at home and own the same record overall. It’s the toughest homestand of the season and you are the only team all-star and starting both ends of it.

If their ace can be their ace, it could set up the Pirates last few months like we haven’t seen around here in nearly a decade.