Pirates' Paul Skenes Takes Step Back Against Giants

Skenes didn't have the same success with his four-seam fastball, despite increasing velocity, leaving it out over the plate and giving the Giants easy chances to take advantage of it.

He threw a 97.8 mph fastball down the middle of the plate to Devers, who crushed it, 106.3 mph and 415 feet to deep center field.

Pirates manager Don Kelly noted that Skenes was losing his fastball as he was throwing it arm-side, lacking the command he had in the past.

“I think definitely a little arm side with the four-seam, but more than anything, I think just arm side with everything else," Skenes said postgame. "I really don’t know. It was frustrating.”

What Else Skenes Said About His Outing

Skenes pitched better the rest of his outing, getting seven straight outs after giving up the home run to Devers.

He still gave up a hit and a walk with two outs in both the fourth and fifth innings, but also got four strikeouts before departing.

Skenes finished with eight hits, five runs and three walks allowed vs. the Giants, but the Pirates ace didn't let his early struggles define his outing or his stuff.

“I think it was pretty dang good after the first two innings," Skenes said. "I just think it took a little bit to find it today. I’m not especially worried about it. We’ll look into it, something to help me find it earlier for the next game but I don’t think there’s anything that really needs to change.”

Skenes didn't get out of the fifth inning, as the Pirates had him on an 85-90 pitch count, surpassing that at 95 pitches.

He wasn't annoyed at not finishing the inning as he was with his lack of execution on his two-strike pitches, but he remains confident he can fix it before the end of the season.

“Not executing in three-ball counts. That’s pretty much it," Skenes said. "It was all right my last outing and I didn’t walk anybody.

"I think it’s just if you execute three-ball counts, you don’t walk them and get asked about it as much. It comes down to not getting into three-ball counts, too. I’ve just got to throw the ball where I want it to a little more often.”