The Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t in the postseason hunt, but they do have a reason for optimism every fifth day when Paul Skenes takes the mound.
Skenes (6-8) will take his majors-best 1.83 ERA into hitter-friendly Coors Field in Denver on Saturday afternoon when Pittsburgh continues its series against the Colorado Rockies.
Skenes brings a 13-inning scoreless streak into the matchup against Colorado left-hander Austin Gomber (0-5, 6.28) on Saturday.
Skenes will face the Rockies for the first time in his brief career and will try to restore some order for the Pirates, who squandered a 9-0 first-inning lead and lost 17-16 to Colorado on Friday night.
Pittsburgh allowed a season high in runs and hits (22) en route to seeing its five-game winning streak snapped.
The Pirates will aim for their fourth straight series victory. Pittsburgh has won eight of its last 10 games and held opponents to one run or fewer in seven games before Friday night during the stretch.
Skenes has led the way with 14 quality starts and hasn’t given up a run since the fourth inning of a loss at Minnesota on July 11. He has thrown six shutout innings in his last two outings — wins over Arizona and Detroit — as he gets ready for the August schedule.
“August is tough. Mentally, physically,” Skenes said after beating the Diamondbacks 6-0 on Sunday. “I think a lot of July, I’ve been trying to get ready for that. So [I] just got to keep doing that – keep up my body in good positions and go out there and keep pitching well.”
Gomber is tasked with slowing the Pirates, who have 33 runs over the last five games. Gomber is not only looking for his first win of the season, he is trying for his first career victory against Pittsburgh. In nine appearances — five starts — against the Pirates, he is 0-3 with a 6.44 ERA.
The Rockies have continued with their youth movement, with 11 players making their major league debut this season, and Warming Bernabel is making his opportunity count. He played his first big-league game in Baltimore last week and has at least one hit in all six games he has played and has homered three times.
His latest blast came Friday night, a three-run shot that gave Colorado hope early in the game. He finished with four hits, collected his first career triple and is batting .458 in 24 at-bats.
It has been a positive in a Rockies season that could set a record for futility. Colorado has 29 wins and needs to finish 13-40 to avoid matching the 2024 Chicago White Sox for the modern-era record for losses with 121.
“I see immediate confidence coming up from the minor leagues,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said Friday. “I see smooth. It looks like he knows what he wants, like he’s hunting (specific pitches) up there. It looks like he knows what he’s doing.
“It’s a breath of fresh air to see that coming up from the minor leagues, ready to hit like that.”
–Field Level Media
