On paper, Paul Skenes delivering a quality start should give the Pittsburgh Pirates a good shot at winning. But on Tuesday night in St. Louis, the struggling Pirates (12-25) showed again that even a solid effort from Skenes isn’t always enough.
Skenes (3-4, 2.77 ERA) took the loss in a 2-1 defeat after allowing a two-run double to Alec Burleson in the sixth inning, shortly after the Pirates had taken a 1-0 lead. Offensively, Pittsburgh managed just four hits — the seventh time this season they’ve had four or fewer, accounting for nearly 20% of their games.
This was the team’s 15th quality start of the season, but they’ve lost five of those games. Had they converted those into wins, the tone around the 2025 Pirates might be more optimistic instead of one of concern about a season slipping away.
Offense remains the main issue, regardless of who’s pitching. Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes acknowledged that the pitching staff, including starters and the bullpen, have been solid, but the team isn’t backing them up with runs. “We’ve got to find ways to score,” Hayes said.
Through 37 games, the Pirates rank 23rd in MLB with a 4.28 team ERA. Opposing hitters are batting .242 against them (17th), and their WHIP is 1.27 (14th). However, their offense is among the league’s worst, hitting just .221 (27th), with a .302 OBP (24th) and a .634 OPS (28th). In 20 games, they’ve had seven or fewer hits — and lost 15 of them.
Manager Derek Shelton continues to juggle lineups to spark the offense but says inconsistency is the root problem. “We’re not generating momentum offensively,” he said.
A few players have performed well. Oneil Cruz leads the team in home runs (8) and walks (25) with a .246/.381/.492 slash line. Andrew McCutchen (.255) and Hayes (.254) have also contributed. But Bryan Reynolds, the team’s No. 2 hitter, is struggling at .224 overall and just .167 in May, despite a recent two-run homer.
Shelton emphasized the need for more consistent production throughout the lineup. “We haven’t had consistent at-bats, and that’s why we’re not scoring runs.”
With 125 games remaining, the Pirates would need to finish 64-61 to match their 76-86 records from 2023 and 2024. As postseason hopes fade, Shelton wants to avoid focusing too much on the big picture. “We just have to focus on being consistent,” he said.
Hayes echoed that the team is still trying to figure out what’s wrong. “We’re in most games, we’re just not breaking through,” he said. “We’ve got to figure it out — individually first, then as a team.”
