On Friday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates will open up a series with the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park.
They are coming off a 7-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.
Paul Skenes will be on the mound for the Pirates during Friday’s game against the Royals.
The superstar pitcher has had a down year, as he is currently 10-11 with a 3.78 ERA in 30 starts.
Pirates Manager Makes Honest Paul Skenes Statement
Ahead of Friday’s game, manager Don Kelly spoke about Skenes (via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM).
Kelly: “Paul set the bar so high in his first two years, having a sub-2 ERA, winning the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year. And I think the thing with Paul is the work ethic, the commitment to excellence, how he’s continued to push himself… Even through the first two years and certainly this year and trying to continue to grind to get better. He’s been the same guy through all of it. Continued to work hard, continued to try to make adjustments, and did so as the season went on last year and then this year doing the same thing. And I think there’s been no excuses from him. He’s such a pro in how he goes about it and how he continues to work every single day to maximize his talents and also go out there and do everything that he can to try to help us win every time he’s on the mound.”
Looking At Skenes
Skenes was the top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pirates.
He is in the middle of his third season at the MLB level.
Last season, Skenes won the National League Cy Young Award (he had a 1.97 ERA in 32 starts).
Looking At The Pirates
The Pirates are the third-place team in the National League Central with a 76-77 record in 153 games.
They have won six out of their last ten games.
Pittsburgh Pirates Manager Makes Honest Paul Skenes Statement