Pirates’ Paul Skenes carries winless streak into matchup with Braves

Paul Skenes has reached plenty of milestones during his three seasons in the major leagues.

On Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ace will try to avoid reaching a negative benchmark when he faces the visiting Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game series.

The Pirates have lost the past nine games in which Skenes started. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, if Pittsburgh takes a 10th consecutive loss Tuesday when Skenes (6-8, 3.62 ERA) is on the mound facing Hurston Waldrep (0-0, 3.68), he would tie Blake Snell and Jim Perry for the major league record for consecutive losses for a team when its reigning Cy Young Award winner is starting.

Skenes just became the fourth pitcher ever to earn an All-Star selection in each of his first three seasons.

However, he has been anything but his usual dominant self of late, as he hasn’t won a start since May 12 against the Colorado Rockies.

In his most recent outing, Wednesday at Philadelphia, Skenes allowed eight runs (seven earned) on six hits, including two home runs, and two walks while striking out five over four innings.

Skenes went 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA over his first nine starts before the losing streak began. He is 0-6 with a 5.36 ERA in his nine starts since.

“I’m not sure,” Skenes said after his last start when asked to explain the struggles. “But we’ll turn ’em over. We’ll figure out what it is and just keep attacking it. I just didn’t execute very well. That’s pretty much what it goes down to.”

Skenes has faced the Braves only once. He struck out nine and allowed only one run on six hits and two walks over six innings during a no-decision on June 29, 2024, at Atlanta.

The Braves are trying to turn the corner themselves, having struggled over the past month following an impressive start. Back-to-back losses against the visiting New York Mets on Sunday and Monday dropped Atlanta’s record to 7-16 since June 9.

Waldrep, who is coming off arm surgery performed in February, is hoping to bolster the Braves’ rotation as he builds up to what will be his second start and third appearance this season.

Waldrep was touching 99 mph on his fastball in spring training before loose bodies were found in his right elbow.

Waldrep, who will face the Pirates for the first time, returned to action on June 26 and pitched two scoreless innings of relief against the San Francisco Giants, walking four and striking out three.

In his first start of the year, Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Waldrep gave up three runs on five hits, including a home run, walked one and struck out four over 5 1/3 innings.

“Finally starting to get into conditioning and getting the arm conditioned to that pitch count,” Waldrep said. “Take a couple more steps and feel like we’re really close. Just kind of getting a little more trust on some stuff. This is something that I personally feel like I go through every year, not just coming off of a rehab, like every year you learn how to move again and learn how to like get back in that routine of pitching.”

On Monday, the Braves purchased the contracts of right-hander Owen Murphy and outfielder Jose Azocar from Triple-A Gwinnett and recalled right-hander JR Ritchie. They designated right-hander Carlos Carrasco for assignment, placed left-hander Martin Perez (bruised left forearm) on the 15-day injured list and put outfielder Eli White on the paternity list.

Murphy made his major league debut in the 10th inning on Monday night and gave up two runs (one earned) in his lone frame, taking the loss as New York edged Atlanta 7-6.

The Pirates outscored the host Washington Nationals by a combined 18-6 on Saturday and Sunday to take the last two games of a three-game series ahead of a day off. The Braves dropped a pair of one-run decisions to the Mets on Sunday and Monday as the teams split a four-game set.

–Field Level Media