Pirates ace Paul Skenes prepares to face Cardinals in Thursday matinee at PNC Park
Skenes enters the contest winless in six career starts against the Cardinals, despite a recent 16-inning scoreless streak and a 2.48 ERA over his last five outings.
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is scheduled to pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in a Thursday matinee game at PNC Park. This contest represents a significant test for the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, who enters the match with a 4-1 record and a 2.48 ERA.
Despite his recent dominance, Skenes remains winless in his six career starts against the Cardinals. He has allowed no wins in 37.2 innings pitched against the rival team, a statistic that defines his historical performance in this specific matchup.
The game also marks the season debut for Cardinals right-hander Hunter Dobbins. Dobbins recently joined the club from the Boston Red Sox after tearing his right ACL in July 2025. He has been 3-0 with a 4.37 ERA in five Triple-A starts this season.
Skenes has been highly effective recently, recording a 16-inning scoreless streak and a 2.48 ERA over his last five outings. In this stretch, he has allowed just three runs and 10 hits while recording 29 strikeouts to five walks, posting a 0.95 ERA.
The Pirates have provided run support in four of Skenes' five most recent starts, resulting in a 4-1 record for the team during that period. Manager Don Kelly has noted that Skenes has been completely locked in since a poor season-opening start at the New York Mets.
Fans and analysts will be watching to see if Skenes can extend his recent form, which includes pitching 6.2 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Brewers last Friday. That performance made him only the sixth Pirates pitcher in the modern era to allow seven scoreless innings with one or zero hits, seven strikeouts, and zero walks.
