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Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes is no stranger to impressive accomplishments. On Friday, he made the wrong kind of history with his start against the Chicago Cubs (box score).
Skenes, who did his part by striking out five batters and scattering four hits across five shutout innings, was denied a decision when the Pirates bullpen blew a late 1-0 lead. In turn, he earned the dubious honor of recording the fewest number of wins (four) by a pitcher who began a season with a sub-2.00 ERA through 15 starts since Major League Baseball integrated in 1947, according to research conducted by CBS Sports’ Doug Clawson. Take a look at the company Skenes keeps:
- Paul Skenes, 2025, 4 wins
- Jacob deGrom, 2018, 5
- Shelby Miller, 2015, 5
- Zack Greinke, 2015, 5
- Clayton Kershaw, 2013, 5
- Mike Morgan, 1989, 5
- Bob Veale, 1968, 5
That Veale season is notable for two reasons: 1) he did it as part of the Pirates organization; and 2) he owns the distinction for having the lowest ERA among qualified pitchers who posted a losing record (he went 13-14 despite a 2.05 ERA). Skenes, through Friday’s start, is now 4-6 on the year despite a 1.78 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio inching ever closer to 5.00.
Of course, a pitcher’s win-loss record isn’t useful from an evaluative perspective. Skenes’ season is a good illustration as to why. Including Friday, he’s surrendered two runs or fewer in 13 of his 15 starts. Yet the Pirates are 7-8 in his outings. Why? Because Pittsburgh’s offense has scored two runs or fewer in six of those 15 games. They’ve scored more than three runs in just four times.
On the bright side, the Pirates were able to secure a 2-1 victory in extra innings. Pittsburgh is now 29-42 on the season.