Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes pledged to address his recent command problems after Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
Skenes surrendered three runs on two hits over five innings while striking out six and issuing four walks on 93 pitches, with only 53 landing for strikes. It was the second consecutive start in which he walked four batters, continuing a stretch in which his control has declined despite flashes of his usual dominance.
The 24-year-old remains confident the trend will end.
“I don’t think it’s going to continue by any means,” Skenes said. “I’m not going to let it continue. I’ve had stretches like this where I’ve walked more than I would like to, but we’ll continue to dial it in.”
“I’m not going to let it continue.”
Paul Skenes on his recent rise in walks after issuing four free passes for the second straight start. pic.twitter.com/0MS3qyB5EG
— Zach Sweet (@by_ZachSweet) August 6, 2026
The right-hander opened the game by walking Brice Turang on four pitches but quickly settled in, retiring the next 10 Milwaukee hitters in order. He struck out five during that stretch, held the Brewers without a hit through three innings, generated 16 swinging strikes and averaged 97.1 mph with his four-seam fastball. It was also only the second time in the past two months that his average fastball velocity topped 97 mph, and the first time in 10 starts that he threw multiple pitches above 98 mph.
The game changed in the fourth inning. Consecutive one-out walks to Garrett Mitchell and William Contreras put runners on the corners before Christian Yelich lined a 3-1 slider down the right-field line for Milwaukee’s first hit, scoring Mitchell. Andrew Vaughn followed with a single through the right side to bring home two more runs, giving the Brewers a 3-0 lead. Skenes escaped the inning with a double play but needed 34 pitches to do so before completing a scoreless fifth.
Manager Don Kelly said Skenes’ stuff looked better than it had in recent outings, but the inability to consistently throw strikes prevented him from working deeper into the game. His ERA climbed to 3.96 through 24 starts, including a 6.22 ERA since July 1. Over his last seven outings, he owns a 6.14 ERA, while the Pirates have gone 3-12 in his last 15 starts. During that 15-start period, he has allowed 46 earned runs.
Wednesday also brought a notable change behind the plate as Endy Rodriguez caught Skenes for the first time since April 14, 2025, ending a streak of 51 consecutive starts with Henry Davis. Kelly said the move had been discussed before Rodrjguez’s injury and would provide flexibility while keeping the catcher’s productive bat in the lineup.
Offensively, Pittsburgh managed only three hits. Milwaukee starter Kyle Harrison returned from the injured list to throw five scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out 10, including eight consecutive strikeouts, before departing with cramping in both calves. Rodriguez accounted for both Pirates runs with a two-run homer in the seventh, his first career home run against a left-handed pitcher, but Pittsburgh could get no closer.
The defeat left the Pirates two games below .500 and four games behind the final National League Wild Card position.
Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes pledged to address his recent command problems after Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Skenes surrendered three runs on two hits over five innings while striking out six and issuing four walks on 93 pitches, with only 53 landing for strikes.