Pirates' Paul Skenes Gets Great Bounce Back Opportunity

He even came close to a perfect game in his start vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 24, but gave up a hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, still ending with seven scoreless innings in the 6-0 win.

Skenes mostly struggled with giving up hard hits on his pitches, includng his four-seam fastball, but still ended up with a season-high nine strikeouts and a 35% whiff rate on the fastball.

He still has a 3.18 ERA, a .182 BAA and a 0.85 WHIP this season, so even with the two defeats, he's shown that he can still go out and win the National League Cy Young Award for a second straight season.

Skenes' BAA and WHIP would rank tied for sixth and tied for second in the NL, if he was a qualified pitcher.

He also has had great success against the Diamondbacks, with a 1.00 ERA over three starts, plus 20 strikeouts to four walks.

Skenes last pitched vs. the Diamondbacks at PNC Park on July 27, 2025, where he threw six scoreless innings, allowed just three hits and a walk and posted nine strikeouts in the 6-0 win.

He has also pitched at Chase Field one time prior on May 28, 2025, where he threw 6.2 scoreless innings, allowng just four hits and posting seven strikeouts in the 10-1 win.

It's a good opponent for Skenes to bounce back from and the Pirates will need him to get them a big road win to stay competitive in the NL Central.

Bubba Chandler Looks to Find Form Again

Rookie Bubba Chandler has the stuff to dominate any opposing batter, but his search for consistency between starts is something he hasn't achieved yet.

Chandler had his worst start of the season vs. the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 23, where he allowed six earned runs over four innings in the 6-1 defeat.

He most recently pitched vs. the Cardinals at PNC Park on April 29, where he was better, but still allowed three earned runs over five innings in the eventual 5-4 defeat.

Chandler, like Skenes, will also look to bounce back, as he takes the mound in the series opener on May 5.

His April was a tough one, posting a 5.84 ERA, .242 BAA and a 1.50 WHIP, while losing three of his five starts.

Chandler is still learning what it takes in becoming a successful pitcher at the major league level and is only in his first full season with the Pirates.

He will look to emulate what he did in his start vs. the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park on April 17, allowing just one run over six innings in the 5-1 victory.

Chandler will get his first shot against the Diamondbacks in his career and if he can locate his fastball and use his offspeed pitches with it, then he should have a strong outing.

Mitch Keller Shows Just How Reliable He is

The Pirates have a strong rotation, but Mitch Keller is maybe the most underrated of the group.

Keller starts for the Pirates in the series finale against the Diamondbacks on May 7, with an afternoon first pitch set for 3:40 p.m. (EST).

The 30-year old has pitched with consistency for the Pirates this season, with a 3-1 record in seven starts, a 2.85 ERA over 41.0 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts to 12 walks, a .208 BAA and a 1.05 WHIP.

He is coming off an incredible performance vs. the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 1, throwing seven innings of one run baseball, allowing just three hits and a walk and tying his season-high of six strikeouts.

Keller helped a Pirates bullpen that had pitched extensively in their four-game sweep by the Cardinals and gave them a big break that they severely needed.

The Pirates veteran has done the little things really well, keeping the ball on the ground for easy outs, not allowing too much hard contact and getting strikeouts when needed.

Pittsburgh needed Keller to take on a great deal of innings coming into 2026 and he's not only doing that, but doing it effectively as well, making for an exciting watch whenever he takes the mound.

Keller has also had success vs. the Diamondbacks, with a 1-0 record and a 2.15 ERA over five appearances.