Skenes faces – Paul Skenes’ last win in 2026 came on May 12 against the Rockies. Since then, he’s gone six straight starts without a win, though his season line still looks strong. On Saturday at 9:10 p.m. ET at Coors Field, Skenes gets a familiar opponent again as the Pirat
PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes’ last win in 2026 came against the Rockies on May 12. Back then, he pushed through eight scoreless innings, limited Colorado to two hits, and worked his way to 98 pitches. Gregory Soto was the closer in that one, called in for the save.
Now Skenes is back facing Colorado again. and the mood around this stretch isn’t about his overall form so much as the empty space beside his record. Since that May 12 win. he’s gone six straight starts without earning a victory. even as his numbers remain steady: he sits at a 2.85 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP.
Skenes isn’t framing the drought as something that’s grinding him down. He said he’s not necessarily feeling frustration from not earning victories—he’s focused on the next one. For the Pirates, the timing matters. His 16th start is set for Saturday at 9:10 p.m. ET at Coors Field.
The last time out, he exited after six innings and 104 pitches, and it still wasn’t enough. Pittsburgh put up just two runs of support behind him, and he picked up his sixth loss of the season.
At Coors Field, the details from the May 12 matchup carry extra weight. Mickey Moniak singled off Skenes and is now 2-for-9 lifetime against him. Troy Johnston hit a double and is 1-for-2. The Rockies enter Saturday’s action with the sixth-most strikeouts in baseball. but they’re 11th-best in OPS—suggesting they can miss plenty. even if they still have ways to punish mistakes.
There’s also the question of the ballpark itself. Skenes’ last start against Colorado was at PNC Park, and the elevation at Coors Field could play a role in what happens this time.
One swing-and-miss weapon will be central to the matchup. In 2026, Skenes has thrown his sweeper 214 times, and opponents have recorded just three hits off it. That’s a .107 batting average against the pitch. He throws it 15.8% of the time, making it his third-most-used pitch behind his four-seam fastball and changeup.
If Skenes can steer another start the way he did on May 12—retiring nine in a row at one point from the end of the second inning to the beginning of the fifth—this one starts to look less like a test of his stuff and more like a test of whether the Pirates can give him the runs that have been missing across his recent stretches.
Paul Skenes Pittsburgh Pirates Colorado Rockies Coors Field May 12 2026 season ERA WHIP sweeper Gregory Soto Mickey Moniak Troy Johnston
So he’s pitching good but no wins? That’s literally all baseball is sometimes.
Coors Field elevation is gonna mess everyone up, I swear. If he’s still got like a 2.85 ERA then why does it even matter if he has no wins? Feels like the team just forgot how to score.
Wait, I thought his last win was LAST year? And also 98 pitches? That’s like 3 innings now?? Idk stats make my head spin. But if Rockies have “11th-best OPS” then they can’t be that dangerous right?
Mickey Moniak having a 2-for-9 thing doesn’t sound scary, but somehow it always is against him. Rockies strikeouts ranking means nothing to me either—Coors is so hitter-friendly they’ll just mash one pitch and it’s over. I just want him to get a win already, even if the Pirates run support keeps disappearing. Also the sweeper only giving up like 3 hits?? Sounds like they should’ve won more just off that alone, right?