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Against the backdrop of a demanding 2026 MLB season, the calculus around elite starting pitching has turned uncomfortable in Pittsburgh.
Pirates ace Paul Skenes gave up five runs on seven hits Friday night in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds, his second consecutive start surrendering five earned runs, and the capstone on a July in which he allowed five or more runs in three of five outings.
His ERA now stands at 3.90, a full two runs above both his 2024 and 2025 totals. A month that rewrote the ledger The season reads as a tale of two pitchers.
Three starts in the middle of last month went well: Skenes went 3-0 with just five combined earned runs, and that stretch gave reason to hold judgment. The bookends told a different story.
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