Why MLB fans were robbed of Paul Skenes-Tarik Skubal matchup

Pirates manager Don Kelly did not speak prior to Game 1, but a team spokesperson said the decision to push Skenes to the night game (he was regularly scheduled to pitch Thursday afternoon) was a managerial decision based on what was best for the team.

Skenes and Skubal both had strong outings to continue their Cy Young pursuits.

They just didn't do it against each other.

Skenes ended up pitching six innings and striking out nine batters while allowing just three hits and two earned runs.

Skubal went 5.2 innings, striking out six and allowing two earned runs.

From a Pirates perspective, it's kind of easy to understand why they would want to have Skenes avoid going against Skubal. Despite his dominance this season, he entered Thursday's game with a stunning 4-6 record (while the Pirates are only 7-8 overall) in his first 15 starts. Those poor records are entirely the result of poor run support. The Pirates probably figured — correctly — that their lineup would not have much of a chance to generate runs against Skubal, potentially giving Skenes another start with no run support — and potentially another loss. 

In the end, despite Skenes' strong start he still did not get a win for himself in the night game even though he exited with a 4-2 lead. He lost the chance to get the win when the bullpen allowed the Tigers to tie the game as soon as he exited.