The Chicago Cubs have had one of the most potent offenses in Major League Baseball in the early stages of the 2025 season, ranking among the top two teams in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits, and runs scored.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes probably wouldn’t argue with that assessment after facing the Cubs’ formidable lineup on Thursday.
Despite the Cubs hitting several balls hard off Skenes and drawing four walks, he managed to navigate through the first four innings unscathed, allowing only one hit and no runs. However, things took a turn for the worse in the fifth inning.
The inning started with Dansby Swanson blasting his sixth home run of the season off a hanging splitter in the middle of the strike zone. Cubs batting coach Dustin Kelly was ejected for disputing several strike calls that Skenes received on pitches off the plate.
After Nicky Lopez grounded out and Ian Happ struck out, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki hit consecutive home runs, marking the most homers Skenes had surrendered in a game in his young career. Tucker sent a fastball into the center field seats, while Suzuki capitalized on another high splitter from Skenes.
Even though the Cubs didn’t score early on, manager Craig Counsell was pleased with the patience his hitters showed, drawing multiple walks.
“You’re not chasing, and [Skenes] has got to figure out something else to do,” Counsell said, via MLB.com. “He definitely went to off-speed [pitches] more today, and we did a really nice job of not swinging.
Joey Wentz took over for Skenes in the sixth inning with the Pirates trailing 3-2. Skenes finished with 86 pitches, 49 strikes, and just two strikeouts, a career low.
“Execution wasn’t there,” Skenes admitted, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Kind of spraying the ball. Got away with it there for a while, and obviously it showed up a little bit in the fifth, but it is what it is. … I wasn’t super sharp today.”
Skenes’ four walks, including three consecutive in the third inning, matched a career high he had hit twice last season, once also against the Cubs. The three home runs allowed were a career-worst, surpassing the two he gave up last June against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With the loss, Skenes’ ERA rose to 2.73 with 41 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings and a 3-3 record. The Cubs improved to 19-13, while the Pirates fell to 12-20.