Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes continues to face a downturn, with multiple outlets reporting that he is struggling in back-to-back outings and finishing the month with elevated results. Yahoo Sports says Skenes allows five runs in his second straight start and that he ends July with a 6.25 ERA across six appearances. Fox News adds additional context on his recent form, reporting that he has not surpassed 98 mph in his last four starts. It also notes that while his speed is down compared with last season—when he did so nearly 900 times—his overall ERA has increased to 3.90 this season.
Across both reports, the central themes are Skenes’s recent inability to match his prior performance level, including higher run totals in his latest start(s) and a visible change in measurable pitching output. Neither source attributes the changes to a specific cause, but both describe a period in which his effectiveness has declined and his season statistics have moved in the wrong direction.
