Paul Skenes is approaching the one-year mark of his Major League Baseball career, having debuted on May 11, 2024. In that time, the 6-foot-7 Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and reigning National League Rookie of the Year has shown impressive talent — except when facing the St. Louis Cardinals.
Heading into Tuesday’s game at Busch Stadium, Skenes had yet to secure a win against the Cardinals, holding an 0-3 record over four appearances. Half of his career losses had come against them, including a tough outing on April 8 when he allowed a personal-worst five earned runs.
Starting for the Pirates in hopes of turning around their winless May, Skenes faced off against Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore but came up short in a 2-1 defeat. In six innings, Skenes (3-4, 2.77 ERA) allowed two runs on an RBI double by Alec Burleson with two outs in the sixth, erasing a brief Pirates lead. He finished with three hits allowed, six strikeouts, and four walks — matching his career high in walks for the second consecutive game.
Manager Derek Shelton praised Skenes’ resilience, noting his ability to regain control after some struggles. Skenes threw 102 pitches, 60 of them for strikes.
The Pirates, trailing by a run heading into the final innings, failed to mount a comeback against the Cardinals’ bullpen, ending the game with just four hits. Liberatore (3-3, 3.07 ERA) went seven innings, striking out eight while allowing only one run and three hits.
Both pitchers started strong, each tallying three strikeouts over the first two innings. While Skenes kept the Cardinals off the board early, he struggled with efficiency, using 58 pitches by the end of the third. He settled down in the fourth with a quick inning and another strikeout of Nolan Arenado.
Liberatore continued to dominate, giving up just a first-inning single until the sixth, when Ke’Bryan Hayes doubled in a run to put the Pirates ahead 1-0. However, the Cardinals responded in the bottom half of the inning with Burleson’s two-run double that came with two outs and runners on base.
Skenes acknowledged his mistake postgame, saying he let the inning slip with a two-out walk and a poorly executed pitch.
Relievers Dennis Santana and David Bednar held the Cardinals scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, but Pittsburgh’s offense couldn’t respond. St. Louis won with only four hits, taking the series and extending the Pirates’ losing streak to six games.
Shelton emphasized the need for improvement at the plate, pointing to the Pirates’ four-hit performance as a major issue.
Gordon Graceffo closed out the game with a scoreless ninth, earning the save for St. Louis.
