Pirates Announce Next Paul Skenes Start

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star pitcher Paul Skenes returns to the mound, where the home fans will see him pitch once again.

Skenes will make his next start for the Pirates against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 27 at PNC Park, with first pitch set for 1:35 p.m.

He dominated in his first outing vs. the Diamondbacks on May 28 at Chase Field, where he allowed just four hits and hit a batter over 6.2 innings and 96 pitches, while posting seven strikeouts in the 10-1 series finale win.

Skenes made his first start vs. Arizona as a rookie on Aug. 4, 2024 at PNC Park. He allowed five hits, three walks and two earned runs over 5.2 innings, while striking out four batters in the no-decision in an eventual 6-5 defeat at home.

He made his most recent start in the series opener vs. the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on July 21, where he excelled. He allowed just three hits, a walk and hit a batter, while posting six strikeouts over 86 pitches in six innings in the 3-0 win.

That victory marked the first for Skenes since that win over the Diamondbacks and his first at PNC Park since a 10-3 win over the Washington Nationals on April 14.

Skenes has a 5-8 record over 21 starts, but the Pirates offense has scored four runs or less in 17 of those outings.

He ranks amongst the best pitches in the MLB, with both the lowest ERA (1.91) and opposing batting average (.186), fifth lowest WHIP (0.91), seventh most innings pitched (127.0) and the ninth most strikeouts (137).

Skenes started his second All-Star Game for the National League at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, on July 15, throwing a scoreless first inning with two strikeouts.

He became the first pitcher that started two All-Star games in their first two seasons in the league and just the second Pirates pitcher that started for the NL twice, along with Bob Friend, who did so in 1956 and 1960.

Rookie right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows takes the mound for the series opener against the Diamondbacks on July 25, with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m.

Burrows had a strong beginning to his most recent start vs. the Chicago White Sox at home on July 19, allowing just one walk over the first four innings and posting four strikeouts.

He would give up three hits and two runs in the fifth inning and finished with six strikeouts over 76 pitches, before the Pirates bullpen gave up a 4-2 lead and lost 10-4.

Burrows has a 1-3 record over 11 appearances and 10 starts, a 4.70 ERA over 46.0 innings pitched, 48 strikeouts to 19 walks, a .257 opposing batting average and a 1.41 WHIP.

Left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney starts the second game of the series for the Pirates vs. the Diamondbacks on July 26, with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m.

Heaney struggled in his most recent outing, as he gave up seven earned runs, tying a season-high, and back-to-back home runs in the 7-2 loss to the White Sox on July 20.

This marks a poor six-game stretch run, where he's allowed nine of his 20 home runs allowed and has a 10.65 ERA over 23.2 innings pitched, suffering four losses.