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Pirates’ Paul Skenes calls out players amid ‘sell the team’ chants

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Benjamin Adducchio | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 11:34 AM ET

Pittsburgh Pirates star hurler Paul Skenes understands the anger fans are feeling. The Pirates look dead in the water, just nine games into the season. Fans are screaming for Pirates owner Bob Nutting to sell the team.

Skenes isn’t ready yet to place the blame at the owner or manager Derek Shelton’s feet.

“Mr. Nutting and Shelty aren’t the ones playing,” Skenes said Saturday, per ESPN. “We’re the ones playing. If we were 8-0 through however many games we’ve played right now, the fans aren’t booing. We’ve got to play better.”

The Pirates are 2-7 on the year and have been beaten soundly by the New York Yankees in two games of that series. Pittsburgh also struggled against Miami to open the year. Skenes has been steady, but there’s not much around him it seems to lift the Bucs.

“It’s a long season,” Skenes added. “I want to believe that it all evens out. But we aren’t getting these games back. We will go on a stretch where we will go … 7-2 or wherever we are right now in an opposite way.”

The Pirates play the Yankees again on Sunday.

Paul Skenes is hoping to find success with the Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) throws a pitch during the third inning against the New York Yankees at LECOM Park. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Skenes brought a lot of good will last season to the struggling Pirates franchise. The hurler finished his rookie season in the Steel City as the National League Rookie of the Year. He also started for the NL in the 2024 All-Star game.

Those accolades are remarkable. It has been several years since the Pirates had a player that brought that much attention to the franchise. Barry Bonds may have been the last Pirates rookie to garner that much praise.

This offseason, Skenes worked hard to expand his pitching repertoire. He worked on several pitches, including one he called a “splinker.” The goal was to bring Pittsburgh back to the playoffs after years of drought.

That splinker pitch seems to have kept Skenes throwing well. Skenes is 1-0 this season with a 1.46 ERA. He started the team’s Opening Day game against the Marlins, and allowed only three hits in 5 plus innings of work.

The Pirates haven’t done very well to support him. Pittsburgh’s bullpen failed on Opening Day to support Skenes, and Pittsburgh has allowed more that five runs this season in six of their nine games.

“I think pretty much everything has room to improve,” Skenes said. “We can play a lot better.”

The Pirates have their next chance to play better Sunday. Pittsburgh plays the Yankees at 1:35 ET, to try and avoid a sweep.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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