The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off a series victory after winning two of three games against the San Diego Padres.
The series also featured a much-needed outing from superstar right-hander Paul Skenes on Tuesday night. He pitched six scoreless innings, allowed just three hits and struck out four batters in a 1-0 victory.
Skenes hadn’t recorded a shutout since May 12 against the Colorado Rockies, making Tuesday’s performance an important one for the Pirates ace.
Skenes Makes Social Media Post
On Thursday, during the Pirates’ off day before their divisional series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Skenes made a rare social media post with a simple four-word caption following his latest start.
“It’s-a-me, Mario,” Skenes posted.
His girlfriend, social media influencer Livvy Dunne, commented, “Moon beam Paul Skenes.”
The post marked Skenes’ first social media activity in more than six weeks and has already garnered more than 44,000 likes and 200 comments. His previous post featured him at All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia.
Looking at Skenes Right Now
Skenes has enjoyed another solid season in his third MLB campaign, though he’s faced more challenges than he did during his first two seasons.
He’s 9-11 with a 3.79 ERA this season. That’s a strong mark for most pitchers, but Skenes posted a 1.96 ERA as a rookie and followed it with a 1.97 ERA last season. The dip has been noticeable, even though he remains an All-Star.
Skenes likely won’t start this weekend against St. Louis, meaning his next appearance could come early next week against the San Francisco Giants.
Pirates Right Now
Pittsburgh is 65-70 overall and, while the Pirates aren’t technically eliminated from the Wild Card race, they’re in danger of falling out of contention.
They’re 18 games back in the NL Central and 7.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
Pittsburgh Pirates Star Paul Skenes Makes 4-Word Post Before Cardinals Series