Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes didn’t have his most dominant stuff of their season-opening 5-4 loss to the Miami Marlins. Regardless of that, he nonetheless pitched into the sixth inning, struck out seven and solely allowed the Marlins to hit one ball (a third-inning double) out of the infield.
He was nice.
He was precisely what a serious league crew would need to see from its beginning pitcher on Opening Day.
Then the remainder of the crew did what it does finest — and did so many occasions in his rookie season — and utterly crumbled as quickly as he left the sport, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Clutch hitting so as to add to the lead? Nonexistent because the Pirates went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring place.
Good elementary protection? Completely none of it.
First basemen Endy Rodriguez dedicated one error, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa helped arrange the Marlins’ first run with a nasty throw that was not charged as an error and middle fielder Oneil Cruz made two late-inning blunders that helped result in the tying and successful runs. Within the backside of the eighth inning, he threw residence in a one-run recreation with two outs to permit the tying run to maneuver into scoring place. It scored one batter afterward a single. Within the backside of the ninth inning, he misplayed a fly ball to middle subject that resulted in a lead-off triple.
How about some high quality bullpen arms from the again finish? Nope. Setup man Colin Holderman and nearer David Bednar picked up the place they left off a season in the past and mixed to surrender three earned runs in a single official inning of labor.
Add all of it collectively and that’s the way you flip a 4-1 lead — which is what the Pirates had been coping with when Skenes left the sport within the backside of the sixth inning — right into a 5-4 loss.
In case you are the Pirates, it needs to be unacceptable.
In case you are Skenes, it needs to be insanely irritating.
In case you are a Pirates fan, it needs to be maddening as a result of it’s the very same script that performed out in so lots of Skenes’ begins throughout his rookie season.
Regardless of how properly he pitches, or what he does, there are nonetheless 24 different gamers on the roster who’re going to discover a approach to mess it up.
It additionally shouldn’t be shocking, largely as a result of the Pirates introduced again a lot of the identical roster from a season in the past, made virtually no significant enhancements and nonetheless saved the again finish of the bullpen in place regardless of their terrible 2024 efficiency.
Anticipating the identical crew and gamers who already confirmed they weren’t ok to instantly be ok virtually by no means works out.
However that’s not even the worst of it when you think about the style wherein they’re deploying their gamers.
Till late final season, Cruz — a pure shortstop — had by no means performed a recreation of middle subject in his skilled profession till they, on a whim, despatched him on the market.
That they had their finest defensive catcher, Rodriguez, enjoying at first base, a place he has hardly ever performed in his professional profession.
They did that so an inferior defensive catcher, Joey Bart, may begin behind the plate.
All whereas a utility infielder, Kiner-Falefa, may begin at shortstop.
It’s no surprise the crew is essentially unhealthy within the subject.
Regardless of being considered one of baseball’s finest pitchers in 2024, Skenes managed to get a win in simply 11 of his 23 begins.
If Thursday is any indication of what’s forward this season, he might not do significantly better within the “W” column. Regardless of how properly he pitches.
