Skenes Silences the Doubters in San Diego

Listen, I've seen enough in this game to know when a pitcher is just hitting a bump in the road and when the wheels are actually coming off. For Paul Skenes, the recent stretch looked ugly, but Tuesday night at Petco Park proved that the struggle was nothing more than a blink for a talent of his caliber.

As MLB.com first reported, Skenes entered the night staring down a jarring decline. The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner had been reeling in the second half, posting a 5.28 ERA over his previous six starts, which pushed his season ERA up to 3.95. In that six-game span, Skenes managed only one quality start and struggled with command, surrendering four walks in three separate outings. He had also been on a short leash; MLB.com reports that Pirates manager Don Kelly had limited Skenes to under 85 pitches in his previous two starts, including a 65-pitch outing against the Marlins.

Then came Tuesday.

It started with a scare—a 110.2 mph leadoff double by Fernando Tatis Jr. on an 0-2 pitch—but that was the only crack in the armor. Skenes proceeded to dismantle a red-hot San Diego Padres lineup that had won 21 of its last 29 games since July 24. As reported by MLB.com, Skenes pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four without a single walk. It was his first scoreless start since May 12 against the Rockies and the first time he's completed six innings since July 19 in Cleveland.

OPINION: The most telling part of this performance wasn't just the zeros on the scoreboard, but the return of the raw power. Skenes is a generational arm, and the velocity is the heartbeat of that talent. While his four-seam fastball averaged 96.8 mph this season (down from 98.2 mph in 2025), he bumped that up to 97.2 mph against the Padres, topping out at 98 mph. Even more impressive were the sinkers; MLB.com notes his fastest pitches of the night were sinkers at 98.6 mph and 98.4 mph, both of which resulted in strikeouts.

Skenes showed the poise of a veteran, refusing to let runners advance. He stranded Tatis at second and later held Dustin Harris—who hit a 104.3 mph leadoff single in the sixth—at second base to end his night. Outside of those two hits, Skenes kept the Padres off balance, allowing an average exit velocity of only 83.8 mph and inducing a 28.3% whiff rate.

He finished the night with 87 pitches (55 for strikes), guiding the Pirates to a 1-0 victory fueled by a ninth-inning home run from Oneil Cruz off Mason Miller. Skenes has always thrived against the best; MLB.com reports he holds a career 13-6 record with a 2.64 ERA against teams with winning records. Tuesday was simply a reminder that while the slump was real, the talent is permanent.