Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at PNC Park on July 1. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Paul Skenes Makes Very Sad Baseball History That's Never Been Seen Before

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 9:03 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 on Tuesday night, but because they didn't score until the eighth inning, Paul Skenes didn't factor into the decision.

The burly right-hander, who looks like he's going to be an All-Star again this season, went five strong innings, surrendering just five hits. He walked one and struck out five.

Unfortunately, he also made some baseball history, according to Justin Havens of Underdog Fantasy:

Paul Skenes is the first pitcher since ER became official in 1913 to have an ERA of 2.05 or lower but 4 or fewer wins through the first 18 starts of a season (min. 90 IP).

Paul Skenes is the first pitcher since ER became official in 1913 to have an ERA of 2.05 or lower but 4 or fewer wins through the first 18 starts of a season (min. 90 IP).
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) July 2, 2025

The 23-year-old is 4-7 with a 2.03 ERA. He's struck out 115 batters in 111.0 innings. Skenes finished third in the National League Cy Young voting last season, and could be in the mix for the award again this season. Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler finished ahead of him.

Lifetime, Skenes is 10-15 with a minuscule 1.99 ERA. The former No. 1 overall pick in the draft (2023), he was one of the most-hyped pitching prospects we've ever seen, and so far, he's delivered. The pressure is now on the Pirates to build a contender around him.

The Pirates are now 37-50 after the win, and they will take on the Cardinals again on Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 p.m. ET. Veteran right-hander Mitch Keller will pitch for Pittsburgh while Sonny Gray goes for the Cardinals.

Keller is 2-10 with a 3.90 ERA. Gray is 8-2 with a 3.36.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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