The Pittsburgh Pirates are a predictable mess. Pirates starting pitchers lead the National League in innings pitched (127.2) and rank fourth in the Majors in fWAR (2.5) even without Jared Jones. The bullpen and lineup, however, are utter disasters, and the Pirates sit in last place in the NL Central as a result, with an 8-15 record entering play on Monday.
Despite that lackluster record, Pirates fans made sure to flock PNC Park for Saturday's game against the Cleveland Guardians with Paul Skenes bobbleheads being given away and Skenes himself taking the ball for Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, even with fans in the stands, the end result was a familiar one: The Pirates lost. In fact, they were shut out by Cleveland.
After Saturday's loss, Skenes made it clear just how unacceptable Pittsburgh's lackluster start has been.
Paul Skenes on the lines for his bobblehead today & a packed PNC park ⬇️
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) April 19, 2025
"It's cool. Wish we would've gotten them a win." pic.twitter.com/Wk4rUnHDgi
The 22-year-old made sure to acknowledge that it's cool to see fans come out in droves, mainly in support of himself, but he was clearly irate by the loss. It's hard to blame him for that.
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Paul Skenes sounds sick and tired of Pirates losing even more than the fan base
Skenes pitched a gem on his bobblehead night, allowing just two runs on six hits in seven innings of work in the loss. The fans got what they wanted from Skenes and even Bob Nutting with the giveaway, but the team outside of Skenes did not show up. That's just par for the course in Pittsburgh at this point.
Skenes has been brilliant following his 2024 NL Rookie of the Year campaign, posting a 2.87 ERA in five starts and 31.1 innings of work. He's averaged over six innings per start and has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his five outings. Somehow, even with all that, the Pirates have gone just 2-3 when he's taken the ball this season.
The Pirates have a golden opportunity in front of them to compete. The NL Central is weak, and their rotation is both elite and cheap. Adding to their lineup and bullpen would elevate this team to postseason contenders. Instead, the Pirates seem to be content with what they have, and unsurprisingly, are stuck in last place.
This isn't the first time Skenes has spoken out about the organization's on-field struggles. Skenes has a desire to win that Pirates fans wish the organization had. Quotes like these make fans wonder just how long Skenes has in Pittsburgh before he inevitably moves on.