In a duel between two of the most promising arms in the National League, Paul Skenes suffered an unusual defeat that does not tarnish his impressive season. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander faced Jacob Misiorowski, a young Milwaukee Brewers sensation, in a matchup that drew attention for the clash of two generational flamethrowers.
Skenes, who is used to dominating his opponents, had his shortest outing of the year: just four innings of work, allowing four runs and four hits, with two walks and four strikeouts. Despite the stumble, his ERA barely moved and remains an extraordinary 2.12, with 110 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched and a 0.91 WHIP. For any other pitcher, it would be a great outing; for Skenes, it was his lowest point of the year.
A bad game doesn’t change the narrative
The damage came in the second inning, when Milwaukee managed to produce four runs, something that had never happened in a single inning throughout the Pirates ace’s career. Skenes needed 37 pitches to get out of the jam, after allowing a walk, several timely singles and a couple of poorly executed defensive plays by Pittsburgh. The score quickly went to 4-0, a lead the Brewers would never relinquish.
Despite the workload, Skenes was reflective after the game: “I wasn’t unhappy with the execution of all the pitches… maybe we could have thrown something different,” he admitted. Manager Don Kelly was clear in explaining that the shortened outing was more about strategic monitoring than poor performance: “He’s our workhorse and he’s thrown a lot. We’re just trying to take care of him,” he said. Skenes has thrown more than 100 innings this season and the Pirates are looking to protect his arm for the future.
A duel between emerging powers
On the other hand, Jacob Misiorowski shone in his third Major League start. The young Milwaukee right-hander pitched five scoreless innings, with a fastball that reached 160 km/h and eight strikeouts in total. He has allowed just three hits in his first 16 innings in the majors, with a stunning 1.13 ERA. “He’s got a powerful arm… you see him on video and in person he’s even more impressive,” said Kelly, who compared Misiorowski’s presence on the mound to Skenes’.
The Pirates managed to pull one back in the second half of the game, but the damage was done. The team was limited to just four hits in total, while Milwaukee took advantage of every defensive error to extend its lead. Despite the loss and the lackluster performance, Skenes remains one of the strongest cards to represent the National League in the upcoming All-Star Game.
Skenes was coming off a streak of 16 consecutive starts completing at least five innings, which is unusual for such a young pitcher. His control, maturity and endurance have made him one of the most feared names on the mound. That a four-inning, four-run outing is considered his “worst performance” says a lot about the level he is at. The pitcher himself said after the game: “My body is in a good place,” dispelling any doubts about fatigue or physical discomfort.
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